Systems and methods for providing content and services on a network system

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for managing and providing content and services on a network system. Aspects of the invention include location-based determination of network content and services that may be provided to client computers. Other aspects of the invention include authorization and authentication components that determine access rights of client computers. Additional aspects include systems and methods for redirecting client computers to different network content. The disclosed systems and methods may be used in numerous network system applications.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of copending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/685,585, filed Jan. 11, 2010, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/427,143, filed on Jun. 28, 2006, nowU.S. Pat. No. 7,689,716, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/693,060, filed on Oct. 20, 2000, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,194,554, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/458,569, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,894, titled“Systems And Methods For Redirecting Users Having Transparent ComputerAccess To A Network Using A Gateway Device Having RedirectionCapability,” which claims the benefit of the filing date and priority toU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/111,497 filed on Dec. 8, 1998.U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/693,060 is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/458,602, filed Dec.8, 1999, titled “Systems and Methods For Authorizing, Authenticating andAccounting Users Having Transparent Computer Access To A Network Using AGateway Device.” U.S. application Ser. No. 09/693,060 also claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/161,182, filed Oct.22, 1999, titled “Systems and Methods for Dynamic Bandwidth Managementon a Per Subscriber Basis in a Computer Network”; U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 60/160,890, filed Oct. 22, 1999, titled “Systemsand Methods for Creating Subscriber Tunnels by a Gateway Device in aComputer Network”; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/161,139,filed Oct. 22, 1999, titled “Information And Control Console For UseWith A Network Gateway Interface”; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.60/161,189, filed Oct. 22, 1999, titled “Systems and Methods forTransparent Computer Access and Communication with a Service ProviderNetwork Using a Network Gateway Device”; U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/160,973, filed Oct. 22, 1999, titled “Systems and Methodsfor Enabling Network Gateway Devices to Communicate with ManagementSystems to Facilitate Subscriber Management”; U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 60/161,181, filed Oct. 22, 1999, titled “GatewayDevice Having an XML Interface and Associated Method”; and U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/161,093, filed Oct. 22, 1999, titled“Location-Based Identification and Authorization for use With a GatewayDevice.” All of the above applications are incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods forcontrolling network access, and more particularly, to systems andmethods for establishing dynamic user network access.

2. Description of the Related Art

User access to computer networks has traditionally been based upon a twostep authentication process that either provides a user total networkaccess, or refuses the user any access whatsoever. In the first step ofthe process, a user establishes a communication link with a network viaa telephone line, dedicated network connection (e.g., Broadband, DigitalSignal Line (DSL)), or the like. In the second step of theauthentication process, the user must input identification informationto gain access to the network. Typically, the input identificationinformation includes a user name and password. Using this information,the network or service provider verifies that the user is entitled toaccess the network by determining whether the identification informationmatches subscriber information contained in a subscriber table (ordatabase) that stores identification information for all usersauthorized to access the network. Where user input information matchessubscriber data in the subscriber table, the user is authorized toaccess any and all services on the network. On the other hand, if theuser input identification information fails to match subscriber data inthe table, the user will be denied access to the network. Thus, once auser's identity is compared to data stored within a subscription table,the user is either entitled network access, or denied access altogether.Furthermore, where the user is authorized access to the network, theuser is typically authorized to access any destination accessible viathe network. Therefore, conventional authentication of users is based onan all-or-nothing approach to network access.

In many conventional network access applications, such as inconventional Internet access applications, the subscriber database (ortable) not only stores data corresponding to the identity of subscribersauthorized to access the network, but also stores information that canvary based upon the particular subscriber. For instance, the subscriberdatabase can include subscriber profiles that indicate the type ofaccess a subscriber should receive, and other related information, suchas the fees due by the subscriber for network access. Althoughinformation in the subscriber database may vary from user to user,information unique to the database is generally used for billing ornetwork maintenance purposes. For instance, conventional subscriberdatabases typically include data such as the cost the subscriber ispaying for network access, and the amount of time the subscriber hasaccessed the network. Thus, where a subscriber to an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) has purchased Internet access, a source profile databasemay contain information that enables a user to be authenticated andtracks the user's access for accounting purposes, such as maintaining alog of the user's time on the network.

Additionally, in conventional network access systems, in order for auser to connect to on-line services (e.g., the Internet), the user mustinstall client side software onto the user's computer. Client sidesoftware is typically provided by a network administrator or networkaccess provider, such as an ISP with whom the user has subscribed forInternet access, and enables the client to configure his or her computerto communicate with that network access provider. Continuing with theillustrative example of a user accessing the Internet via an ISP, theuser must install ISP software on the client computer, and thereafterestablish an account with the ISP for Internet access. Typically, a usersubscribes to an ISP, such as AMERICA ONLINE™, EARTHLINK™, COMPUSERVE™or the like, by contracting directly with the ISP for Internet access.Usually, the user pays for such Internet access on a monthly fixed feebasis. Regardless of the user's location, the user may dial up an accessnumber provided by the ISP and obtain Internet access. The connection isoften achieved via a conventional telephone modem, cable modem, DSLconnection, or the like.

Because users accessing networks through conventional methods, such asthrough ISPs, are either allowed or denied access to a network in an allor nothing approach, users cannot be dynamically authorized access to anetwork such that the user's access and authorization to particularnetworks or sites is customizable. What is needed is a method and systemthat allows users dynamic and customizable access that may vary basedupon any number of variables associated with a user, such as a userlocation, user name or password, user computer, or other attributes. Forexample, it would be advantageous for some users to be authorized accessto all Internet sites, while others may be denied access to particularsites. In addition to authorizing user access to a network, it would beadvantageous for a network, such as an ISP or enterprise network, toselectively permit users a range of authorization, such that the user'saccess is not based upon an all or nothing approach.

In addition, user digital communications addresses such as internet orIP addresses are conventionally associated with a fixed physicallocation, such as a user's business telephone line. However, portablecommunications devices such as laptop computers are becomingincreasingly popular, and it is common for a user to access the internetfrom locations as diverse as hotel rooms and airplanes.

Digital communications networks are set up to route communicationsaddressed to a communication address to the associated physicallocation. Thus, if a laptop computer is connected to a remote location,communications to and from the computer will not be associated with theuser's communications address.

In order for a computer (host) to communicate across a network (e.g.,the internet), software protocols (e.g., Transport ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)) must be loaded into the host. Ahost computer sends information (i.e., packets of data) to devices onthe network (routers) which receive the packets and send the packetsback to the destination host.

The destination host will route replies back using a similar process.Each host computer and router must be configured so it will know who tosend the packets of data to. A router will receive the packets only ifthe host computers specifically send (address) the packets to thatrouter. If a host is configured incorrectly (bad address), then the hostcomputer and router will be unable to communicate.

With the advent of mobile computers (laptops) and the desire to plugthem into various networks to gain access to the resources on thenetwork and internet, a mobile computer must be configured for eachnetwork it plugs into. Traditionally this new configuration can be doneeither (i) manually in software on the mobile computer (usually causingthe mobile computer to be restarted to load in the new configuration),or (ii) with a new set of protocols which must be utilized on the mobilecomputer to obtain the configuration information from a device on thenetwork to which the computer is being connected. When new services(protocols) are created to add functionality to the host computers,these new protocols must be updated in the host computers or routers,depending upon the type of new functionality being added.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention include systems and methods for providinglocation-based content to a client computer connected to a system, suchas a gateway system, via a network. The network may include anintermediary network device between the client computer and the system.The system receives a request for content from the client computer, andit produces alternate content based in part on a physical locationidentifier received in association with the request for content andtransmits the alternate content to the client device in response to therequest for content. The alternate content may differ from the requestedcontent. The physical location identifier may originate from theintermediary network device. The physical location may be, among otherthings, a room in a hotel, a type of room in a hotel, a suite, a room inan office, a terminal in an airport, an airplane, a building, amulti-unit residence, a part of a multi-unit residence, a unit in amulti-unit residence, a wing of a building, or a retail outlet.

An aspect of the invention is a method of managing network access of aclient computer connected to a network management system. The methodincludes receiving one or more data packets from a client computer, theone or more data packets comprising a request for network content froman external server; determining authorization rights associated with theclient computer, the authorization rights indicating whether the clientcomputer is entitled to access the requested network content, theauthorization rights being based on a user profile selected from a userprofile database communicatively connected to the network managementsystem; producing, if the determined authorization rights indicate thatthe client computer is not entitled to access the requested networkcontent, a redirection response configured to cause the client computerto initiate a request for network content at a network locationdifferent from the request for network content from the external server,the redirection response configured to indicate to the computer that theredirection response originated from the external server; andtransmitting the redirection response to the client computer in responseto the request for network content.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference numerals refer to like parts unless the context indicatesotherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system that includes a AAAserver for authenticating, authorizing and accounting sources accessingnetworks and/or online services, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method in which a AAA server performsauthentication, authorization, and accounting, according to one aspectof the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the implementation of the presentnomadic router between the host computing device and variouscommunication devices through standard interfaces.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the basic nomadic router architecture,which is referred to as the hardware implementation architecture.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a configuration overview of the basicsteps performed when a host device is attached to the present nomadicrouter and when a network interface is attached to the router.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the router's automatic adaptation tothe host device when the first data packet from the host is sent to theattached router or when an activation interrupt or signal is received.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the process by which the routerinitializes and checks the various communication device interfaces forinitialization, activation, etc.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the basic nomadic router architecturewhen implemented as software in the host device.

FIGS. 9A-G are diagrams illustrating protocol stack implementations forvarious network devices, and the translation function happening at alllayers of the protocol stack in the nomadic router.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the nomadic router's proxy ARPpacket interception and host reconfiguration process.

FIGS. 11A-B in combination constitute a flowchart illustrating thenomadic router's translation process which takes place in the hostcomputer and nomadic router at various levels in the protocol stack.

FIGS. 12A-D are diagrams illustrating host and network interface modesin which the nomadic router is able to operate.

FIG. 13 is a simplified perspective view illustrating the nomadic routeras implemented in a self-contained box which connects onto a local areanetwork via a network interface port and has multiple ports to connectto host computers.

FIG. 14 is a simplified perspective view illustrating the nomadic routerapparatus as implemented on a PCMCIA Type III card where the nomadicrouter plugs into the host computer's type II slot and the communicationcard device, of Type II, plugs directly into the nomadic router so bothmay be powered and stored in the portable host computer.

FIG. 15 is a simplified perspective view illustrating the nomadic routeras implemented on a PCMCIA Type II card where the nomadic router plugsinto the host computer via a type II interface slot and where thecommunication card device, Type II, plugs into the nomadic router typeII card.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a computer system that includes a gatewaydevice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention forautomatically configuring one or more computers to communicate the viathe gateway device with other networks and/or other online services.

FIGS. 17A-B are a block diagram of a gateway device in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of theprotocol stack, including the bandwidth manager, of a gateway device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 19A-B are related flowchart diagrams of a method for bandwidthmanagement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 20-23 and 24A-C are detailed flowchart diagrams of a method forbandwidth management in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein the steps are written in pseudo code.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing two simultaneous tunnel sessions inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart diagram of a method for creating and managingtunnels in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 27-29 illustrate component configurations for the L2TP, PPTP, andPPPoE tunneling protocols, respectively.

FIGS. 30-34 are illustrations of various examples of pop-up controlpanels, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a flowchart diagram of a method for communicating to anetwork user data during an ongoing network session, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a block diagram of a computer system that includes a gatewaydevice for automatically configuring one or more computers tocommunicate via the gateway device with other networks or other onlineservices, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 37 is a block diagram of a gateway device in communication with anauthentication server and accounting system for authenticating,authorizing and accounting user/subscriber usage of a computer network,according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 38 shows a block diagram of the computer system of FIG. 16,implemented in a hotel computer system, according to one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 39 is a block diagram of a simplified computer network configuredso as to allow for location-based identification and authorization, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 40 is a block diagram of a computer network using DSL as thecommunication medium and implementing VLAN tagging to incorporatelocation-based identification and authorization, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 41 is a block diagram of a computer network highlighting the uniqueVLAN identification feature of VLAN tagging, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 42 is a block diagram of a computer network using DSL as thecommunication medium and implementing SNMP querying to incorporatelocation-based identification and authorization, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 43 is a block diagram of a computer network using DSL as thecommunication medium and implementing SNMP querying to incorporatelocation-based identification and authorization highlighting the use ofSNMP queries, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 44 is a flow chart diagram of a method for location-basedidentification and authorization in a computer network implementing agateway device, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 45 is a flow chart diagram of a method for location-basedidentification and authorization in a computer network implementing agateway device, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 46 is a block diagram of a computer system that includes a gatewaydevice for facilitating communications between one or more computers andvarious other networks or on-line services in a manner that istransparent to both the user/subscribers and the network administratorsand internet service providers.

FIG. 47 is a block diagram illustrating the format and protocol ofmessages transmitted to and from a gateway device according to oneembodiment of the present invention, including messages transmittedbetween the gateway device and a billing and content server.

FIG. 48 is a block diagram illustrating an XML interface of a gatewaydevice according to one embodiment of the present invention, as well asthe various devices with which the XML interface communicates.

FIG. 49 is a stack representation of the XML interface of FIG. 48 aswell as the various devices with which the XML interface communicates soas to illustrate the relative hierarchy between the respective devices.

FIGS. 50A-B are a flow chart diagram of the automatic user tracking andsecurity technology of the present invention.

FIG. 51 is a block diagram of the integration of the USG of the presentinvention in an Ethernet over ADSL environment.

FIG. 52 is a block diagram illustration of ATM over ADSL using aBridging Modem.

FIG. 53 is a block diagram illustration of PPP over ATM over ADSL usinga Routing Modem from a home User to the NSP.

FIG. 54 is a block diagram illustration of PPP over ATM over ADSL usinga Routing Modem from a home User to a corporate server.

FIG. 55 is a block diagram illustration of PPP over Ethernet over ADSLusing RedBack technology from a home User to the NSP.

FIG. 56 is a block diagram illustration of Ethernet over ADSL from auser to an Internet Gateway.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Likenumbers refer to like elements throughout.

The present invention includes a method and system for selectivelyimplementing and enforcing Authentication, Authorization and Accounting(AAA) of users accessing a network via a gateway device. According tothe present invention, a user may first be authenticated to determinethe identity of the user. The authentication capability of the systemand method of the present invention can be based upon a user ID,computer, location, or one or more additional attributes identifying asource (e.g., a particular user, computer or location) requestingnetwork access. Once authenticated, an authorization capability of thesystem and method of the present invention is customized based upon theidentity of the source, such that sources have different access rightsbased upon their identity, and the content and/or destination requested.For instance, access rights permit a first source to access a particularInternet destination address, while refusing a second source access tothat same address. In addition, the authorization capability of thesystem and method of the present invention can be based upon the otherinformation contained in the data transmission, such as a destinationport, Internet address, TCP port, network, or similar destinationaddress. Moreover, the AAA of the present invention can be based uponthe content type or protocol being transmitted. By authenticating usersin this manner, each packet can be filtered through the selective AAAprocess, so that a user can be identified and authorized access to aparticular destination. Thus, each time the user attempts to access adifferent destination, the user is subject to the AAA, so that the usermay be prevented access from a particular site the AAA system and methoddeem inaccessible to the user based upon the user's authorization whilepermitting access to other sites that the AAA method and system deemaccessible. Additionally, according to one embodiment of the invention,source access to the network may be tracked and logged by the presentinvention for accounting and historical purposes.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed amethod for selectably controlling and customizing source access to anetwork, wherein the source is associated with a source computer, andwherein the source computer has transparent access to the network via agateway device and no configuration software need be installed on thesource computer to access the network. The method includes receiving atthe gateway device a request from the source computer for access to thenetwork, identifying an attribute associated with the source based upona packet transmitted from the source computer and received by thegateway device, and accessing a source profile corresponding to thesource and stored in a source profile database, wherein the sourceprofile is accessed based upon the attribute, and wherein the sourceprofile database is located external to the gateway device and incommunication with the gateway device. The method also includesdetermining the access rights of the source based upon the sourceprofile, wherein access rights define the rights of the source to accessthe network.

According to one aspect of the invention, determining the access rightsof the source based upon the source profile includes determining theaccess rights of the source based upon the source profile, wherein theaccess rights define the rights of the source to access a requestednetwork destination. According to another aspect of the invention, themethod includes assigning a location identifier to the location fromwhich requests for access to the network are transmitted, and thelocation identifier is the attribute associated with the source.Furthermore, according to the invention, accessing a source profilecorresponding to the source can include accessing a source profilestored in a source profile database, where the source profile databaseincludes a remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS), or alightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) database.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the method includesupdating the source profile database when a new source accesses thenetwork. Additionally, the method can include maintaining in the sourceprofile database a historical log of the source's access to the network.Moreover, the attribute associated with the source can be based upon aMAC address, User ID or VLAN ID associated with the source computer fromwhich the request for access to the network was transmitted. Accordingto yet another aspect of the invention, receiving at the gateway devicea request from a source for access can include the step of receiving adestination address from the source.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed asystem for selectably controlling and customizing access, to a network,by a source, where the source is associated with a source computer, andwherein the source computer has transparent access to the network via agateway device and no configuration software need be installed on thesource computer to access the network. The system includes a gatewaydevice for receiving a request from the source for access to thenetwork, and a source profile database in communication with the gatewaydevice and located external to the gateway device, wherein the sourceprofile database stores access information identifiable by an attributeassociated with the source, and wherein the attribute is identifiedbased upon a data packet transmitted from the source computer andreceived by the gateway device. The system also includes a AAA server incommunication with the gateway device and source profile database,wherein the AAA server determines if the source is entitled to accessthe network based upon the access information stored within the sourceprofile database, and wherein the AAA server determines the accessrights of the source with the access rights defining the rights of thesource to access destination sites via the network.

According to one aspect of the invention, the packet received by thegateway device includes at least one of VLAN ID, a circuit ID, and a MACaddress. Additionally, according to another aspect of the invention, thesource profile database includes a remote authentication dial-in userservice (RADIUS) or a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP)database. Furthermore, the source profile database can include aplurality of source profiles, wherein each respective source profile ofthe plurality of source profiles contains access information. Accordingto the invention, each respective source profile can also containhistorical data relating to the duration of network access for use indetermining the charges due for the network access. According to yetanother aspect of the invention, the source profile database can belocated within the AAA server.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there isdisclosed a method for redirecting a source attempting to access adestination through a gateway device, wherein source is associated witha source computer, and wherein the gateway device enables the source tocommunicate with a network without requiring the source computer toinclude network software configured for the network. The method includesreceiving at the gateway device a request from the source to access thenetwork, identifying the source based upon an attribute associated withthe source, and accessing a source profile database located external tothe gateway device, where the source profile database stores accessrights of the source. The method further includes determining the accessrights of the source based upon the identification of the source,wherein the access rights define the rights of the source to accessdestination sites via the network.

According to one aspect of the invention, accessing a source profiledatabase includes accessing a source profile database that includes aremote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS), or a lightweightdirectory access protocol (LDAP) database. According to another aspectof the invention, the method can include assigning a location identifierto the location from which requests for access to the network aretransmitted, wherein the location identifier is the attribute associatedwith the source. The method can also include updating the source profiledatabase when a new source accesses the network, and maintaining in anaccounting database a historical log of the source's access to thenetwork, wherein the accounting database is in communication with thesource profile database.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, receiving at thegateway device a request from a source for access can include the stepof receiving a destination address from the source. Moreover,determining if the source computer is entitled to access the destinationaddress can further include denying the source computer access where thesource profile indicates that the source computer is denied access.Determining if the source is entitled to access the network can alsofurther include directing the source to a login page when the sourceprofile is not located within the source profile database.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, there is discloseda system for enabling transparent communication between a computer and aservice provider network. The system includes a computer, and a networkgateway device in communication with the computer for connecting thecomputer to a computer network, where the network gateway devicereceives source data that represents a user attempting to access saidcomputer network. The system also includes a service provider network incommunication with the network gateway device, where the serviceprovider network includes an authentication server located external tothe network gateway device and in communication with the network gatewaydevice. The authentication server has therein a source profile databasecomprising source profiles that represent users authorized to accesssaid computer network, and compares the source data to said sourceprofiles to determine if the user attempting to access the computernetwork can access the computer network.

According to one aspect of the invention, the system can include anaccounting system for maintaining historical data concerning use of theservice provider network. According to another aspect of the invention,the authentication server includes a remote authentication dial-in userservice (RADIUS), or a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP)database. Furthermore, the source profile database can include aplurality of source profiles, where each respective source profile ofthe plurality of source profiles contains access information. Accordingto yet another aspect of the invention, the source data includes anattribute associated with the computer and transmitted from the computerto the gateway device. According to anther aspect of the invention, thesource data includes login information associated with a respectiveuser.

The Authentication, Authorization and Accounting method and systemaccording to the present invention enable users transparent access to acomputer network employing a gateway device. Therefore, each user mayhave differing rights to access services, sites or destinations via thenetwork. Thus, the present invention differs from conventional AAAmethods and systems by offering dynamic AAA services which authenticateusers and offer those users varying degrees of authorization to utilizethe accessed network. Furthermore, the source profile database of thepresent invention can be located external to the gateway device, and ona network non-local to the network from which access is requested. Anexternal source profile database is desirable because each gatewaydevice allows a finite number of users to access the network, so thatmultiple gateway devices may be required. Additionally, administeringand maintaining one consolidated database of authentication data iseasier than multiple smaller databases. Moreover, locating the databaseexternal to the local network allows an ISP or third party provider tomaintain the confidentiality of the information stored within thedatabase and maintain and control the database in any manner the thirdparty provider so desires.

The present invention also comprises a method and system for redirectingusers to a portal page where users have transparent access to a computernetwork utilizing a gateway device. The method and system advantageouslyoperates in a manner transparent to the user since the user need notreconfigure their computer and no additional software need be added tothe computer for reconfiguration purposes.

According to the invention, users accessing the gateway device areredirected to a portal page. Where stored user profiles permit the usersaccess to the destination network, the users can be forwarded to thedestination network or a portal page established by the network, user,or another entity. Otherwise, users are directed to a login page inwhich the users must input user information so that the users can obtainaccess to networks and online services. The redirection functionaccording to the present invention can be utilized to direct new orexisting users to customized homepages established by the gateway deviceor individual users.

A method for dynamically creating new users having transparent computeraccess to a destination network is disclosed, wherein the usersotherwise have access to a home network through home network settingsresident on the users' computers, and wherein the users can access thedestination network without altering the home network settings. Themethod includes receiving at a gateway device a request from a user foraccess to a destination network, determining if the user is entitledaccess to the destination network based upon a user profilecorresponding to the user and stored within a user profile database incommunication with the gateway device, and redirecting the user to alogin page when the user profile does not include rights to access thedestination network. Furthermore, the method of the present inventioncan include the step of forwarding the user to the destination networkwhen the user profile includes rights to access the destination network.The method can also include the step of automatically redirecting theuser to a portal page following receipt of a request for access to thedestination network prior to determining if the user is entitled accessto the destination network.

According to one aspect of the invention, the method can include thestep of establishing a login page on a webserver local to the gatewaydevice prior to redirecting the user to the login page. The method canalso include accepting user information at the login page which isthereafter utilized by the gateway device to authorize the user accessto the destination network. The user profile database can be updatedwith the user information.

According to another aspect of the invention, the user may be forwardedfrom the login page and returned to a portal page or directed to adestination address which can be an Internet destination address.Redirecting the user to a login page can include redirecting a browserlocated on the user's computer to the login page. Furthermore,redirecting the browser located on the user's computer can includereceiving a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request for thedestination address and responding with an HTTP response correspondingto the login page.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a system fordynamically creating new users having transparent computer access to adestination network is disclosed, wherein the users otherwise haveaccess to a home network through home network settings resident on theusers' computers, and wherein the users can access the destinationnetwork without altering the home network settings. The system includesa gateway device for receiving a request from a user for access to thedestination network, and a user profile database comprising storedaccess information and in communication with the gateway device. Thesystem further includes an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting(AAA) server in communication with the gateway device and user profiledatabase, where the AAA server determines if a user is entitled toaccess the destination network based upon the access information storedwithin the user profile database, and wherein the AAA server redirectsthe user to a login page where the access information does not indicatethe user's right to access the destination network. The system can alsodirect the user to a portal page upon the user's access to the network,prior to determining the access rights of the user.

According to one aspect of the invention, the login page is maintainedlocal to the gateway device. The user profile database and AAA servercan also be located within the gateway device. Furthermore, the userprofile database can be located within the AAA server.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the user profiledatabase includes a plurality of user profiles, wherein each respectiveuser profile of the plurality of user profiles contains accessinformation. In addition, each respective user profile may containhistorical data relating to the duration of destination network accessfor use in determining the charges due for the destination networkaccess.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a method forredirecting users having transparent computer access to a destinationnetwork is disclosed, wherein the users otherwise have access to a homenetwork through home network settings resident on the users' computers,and wherein the users can access the destination network withoutaltering the home network settings. The method includes receiving at agateway device a request from a user for access to a destinationaddress, such as an Internet address, and redirecting the user to aportal page, wherein the user computer remains configured for accessingthe home network, and wherein no additional configuration software needbe installed on the user's computer. Furthermore, redirecting the userto a portal page can comprise redirecting the user to a portal pagecreated by an administrator associated with the portal page, orredirecting the user to a portal page customized by the user.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a system forredirecting users having transparent computer access to a destinationnetwork is disclosed, where the users otherwise have access to a homenetwork through home network settings resident on the users' computers,and wherein the users can access the destination network withoutaltering the home network settings. The system includes a gateway devicefor receiving a request from a user for access to the destinationnetwork, and an AAA server in communication with the gateway device,where the AAA server intercepts the request from the user for access tothe destination network and redirects the user to a portal page, whereinthe user's computer remains configured for accessing the home network,and wherein no additional configuration software need be installed onthe user's computer. According to one aspect of the invention, the AAAserver is located entirely within the gateway device. The portal page ofthe system can also be maintained on a server local to the gatewaydevice.

A unique advantage of the transparent redirection of users to a portalpage, and, in certain circumstances from the portal page, to a loginpage where users subscribe for network access is that a user can obtainaccess to networks or online services without installing any softwareonto the user's computer. On the contrary, the entire process iscompletely transparent to the user. As such, the method and apparatus ofthe present invention facilitates transparent access to destinationnetworks without requiring a user to reconfigure the home networksettings resident on the user computer and without having to installreconfiguration software.

The method and system of the various embodiments facilitate transparentaccess to a destination network. According to one embodiment, the methodand system facilitate the addition of new subscribers to the network.According to another embodiment, all users can be redirected to a portalpage, which can include advertising, without requiring reconfigurationof the users' computers, or new software to be added on the userscomputers.

According to another embodiment, a portable “Nomadic” router ortranslator is provided. The nomadic router enables a laptop computer orother portable terminal which is configured to be connected to a localhome network to be connected to any location on the internet or otherdigital data communication system. The nomadic router automatically andtransparently re-configures the terminal to its new location andprocesses outgoing and incoming data.

The nomadic router includes a processor which appears as the homenetwork to the terminal, and appears as the terminal to thecommunication system. The terminal has a permanent address, the nomadicrouter has a router address, and the terminal transmits outgoing data tothe system including the permanent address as a source address. Theprocessor translates the outgoing data by replacing the permanentaddress with the router address as the source address. The terminalreceives incoming data from the system including the router address as adestination address, and the processor translates the incoming data byreplacing the router address with the permanent address as thedestination address.

The terminal can be directly connected to a point on a local network,and the nomadic router connected to another point in the network. Thenomadic router can be employed to implement numerous applicationsincluding nomadic e-mail, network file synchronizer, databasesynchronizer, instant network, nomadic internet, mobile virtual privatenetwork and trade show router, and can also be utilized as a fixednomadic router.

The nomadic router can be implemented as software and/or hardware. Thenomadic router establishes location and device transparency for adigital communication terminal such as a laptop computer. The terminalcan be connected to any of a variety of networks and locations which canemploy a variety of communication interface devices.

The nomadic router automatically converts the actual location address toa unique communication address for the user such as an internet address,such that the terminal performs communications originating from thecommunication address regardless of the physical location of theterminal.

The nomadic router also automatically configures the terminal to utilizea selected one of the interface devices, and switches from one toanother if the first device malfunctions or becomes otherwiseunavailable.

The nomadic router includes software and services which can be packagedin a personal portable device to support a rich set of computing andcommunications capabilities and services to accommodate the mobility ofnomads (users) in a transparent, integrated, and convenient form. Thisis accomplished by providing device transparency and locationtransparency to the user.

There is a vast array of communication device alternatives such asEthernet, Wireless LAN, and dialup modem among which the users switcheswhen in the office, moving around the office, or on the road (such as ata hotel, airport, or home). The device transparency in the nomadicrouter provides seamless switching among these devices (easily,transparently, intelligently, and without session loss. The locationtransparency support in the nomadic router prevents users from having toreconfigure (e.g., IP and gateway address) their network device (laptop)each time they move to a new network or subnetwork.

The present nomadic router provides a separation of location andidentity by providing a permanent IP address to the network device(host). The nomadic router provides independence between the location,communication device, and the host operating system. There are no newstandards need to be adopted by the networking community. Allspecialized processing is stored internally to the nomadic router withstandard interfaces to the host device and various communicationdevices.

The nomadic router supports the migration to Network Computers byproviding identity and security services for the user. The nomadicrouter also supports multiple parallel communication paths across thecommunications network for soft handoff, increased throughput, and faulttolerance by supporting multiple communication substrates.

A portable router for enabling a data communication terminal to belocation and device transparent according to the present invention,comprises: a first module for storing a digital communication address ofa user; a second module for detecting a data communication networklocation to which the terminal is connected; a third module fordetecting communication devices that are connected to the terminal; afourth module for establishing data communication between the terminaland the network such that the communication address of the location fromthe second module is automatically converted to the communicationaddress of the user from the first module; and a fifth module forautomatically selecting a communication device which was detected by thethird module for use by the fourth module.

The present nomadic router utilizes a unique process embodied in aself-contained apparatus which manipulates the packets of data beingsent between the host computers and routers. This process provides anintelligent active universal translation of the content of the packetsbeing transmitted between the host computer and nomadic router. Thetranslation allows the host computer to communicate with the nomadicrouter even when the host computer is not configured to communicate withthe nomadic router.

This is achieved by the nomadic router pretending to be the router whichthe host is configured for, and by the nomadic router pretending to bethe host which the router expects to communicate with. Therefore, thenomadic router supports the mobility of computers in that it enablesthese computers to plug into the network at different locations(location independence) without having to install, configure, or utilizeany new protocols on the mobile computer.

The mobile computer continues to operate without being aware of thechange in location or new configuration, and the nomadic routertranslates the data allowing the host to think that it is communicatingwith the router. By putting this process in a self-contained apparatus,the deployment of new protocols can be performed independently of thehost computer and its operating system (host independent).

All specialized processing and translation is stored internally in thenomadic router with standard interfaces to the host device and variouscommunication devices. Thus, no new standards need be adopted. Byremoving the complexity of supporting different network environments outof the mobile computer and into this self-contained apparatus, thenomadic router allows the host computer to maintain a very minimal setof software protocols and functionality (e.g., the minimum functionalitytypically installed in network computers) to communicate-across thenetwork.

The nomadic router translation ability also enables the use of alternatecommunication paths (device independence) without the host computerbeing aware of any new communication device that utilizes an alternatecommunication path. The translation of the packets is done not just atthe physical, link, or network layer of the protocol stack but at thetransport and application layers as well. This allows the network card,protocol stack, and application running on the host computer to beindependent of the network environment and configuration.

As an example of the communication device independence, the translationallows soft handoff, increased throughput, and fault tolerance bysupporting multiple communication substrates. In addition, the nomadicrouter translation ability provides a flexible process for deployingenhanced nomadic and mobile computing software and services such asfiltering of packets and determining which packets should be allowed tobe transmitted between the mobile computer and the nomadic router orlocal area network (Internal Firewall).

The router apparatus can be: (i) carried with the mobile user (e.g.,using an external box); (ii) attached to the mobile computer (e.g.,PCMCIA card); (iii) installed inside the mobile computer (e.g., a chipin the laptop); (iv) or installed into the network infrastructure so itwill already be there when the mobile computer user arrives (e.g., a boxwhich plugs into the local area network translating packets being sentbetween the host and nomadic router, or a chip which is installed inrouters on the network). The nomadic router can also be provided in theform of software which is loaded into and run in the mobile computer oranother computer or router on a network.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference numerals refer to like parts unless the context indicatesotherwise.

According to another embodiment, a portable “Nomadic” router ortranslator is provided. The nomadic router enables a laptop computer orother portable terminal which is configured to be connected to a localhome network to be connected to any location on the internet or otherdigital data communication system. The nomadic router automatically andtransparently re-configures the terminal to its new location andprocesses outgoing and incoming data:

The nomadic router includes a processor which appears as the homenetwork to the terminal, and appears as the terminal to thecommunication system. The terminal has a permanent address, the nomadicrouter has a router address, and the terminal transmits outgoing data tothe system including the permanent address as a source address. Theprocessor translates the outgoing data by replacing the permanentaddress with the router address as the source address. The terminalreceives incoming data from the system including the router address as adestination address, and the processor translates the incoming data byreplacing the router address with the permanent address as thedestination address.

The terminal can be directly connected to a point on a local network,and the nomadic router connected to another point in the network. Thenomadic router can be employed to implement numerous applicationsincluding nomadic e-mail, network file synchronizer, databasesynchronizer, instant network, nomadic internet, mobile virtual privatenetwork and trade show router, and can also be utilized as a fixednomadic router.

The nomadic router can be implemented as software and/or hardware. Thenomadic router establishes location and device transparency for adigital communication terminal such as a laptop computer. The terminalcan be connected to any of a variety of networks and locations which canemploy a variety of communication interface devices.

The nomadic router automatically converts the actual location address toa unique communication address for the user such as an internet address,such that the terminal performs communications originating from thecommunication address regardless of the physical location of theterminal.

The nomadic router also automatically configures the terminal to utilizea selected one of the interface devices, and switches from one toanother if the first device malfunctions or becomes otherwiseunavailable.

The nomadic router includes software and services which can be packagedin a personal portable device to support a rich set of computing andcommunications capabilities and services to accommodate the mobility ofnomads (users) in a transparent, integrated, and convenient form. Thisis accomplished by providing device transparency and locationtransparency to the user.

There is a vast array of communication device alternatives such asEthernet, Wireless LAN, and dialup modem among which the users switcheswhen in the office, moving around the office, or on the road (such as ata hotel, airport, or home). The device transparency in the nomadicrouter provides seamless switching among these devices (easily,transparently, intelligently, and without session loss. The locationtransparency support in the nomadic router prevents users from having toreconfigure (e.g., IP and gateway address) their network device (laptop)each time they move to a new network or subnetwork.

The present nomadic router provides a separation of location andidentity by providing a permanent IP address to the network device(host). The nomadic router provides independence between the location,communication device, and the host operating system. There are no newstandards need to be adopted by the networking community. Allspecialized processing is stored internally to the nomadic router withstandard interfaces to the host device and various communicationdevices.

The nomadic router supports the migration to Network Computers byproviding identity and security services for the user. The nomadicrouter also supports multiple parallel communication paths across thecommunications network for soft handoff, increased throughput, and faulttolerance by supporting multiple communication substrates.

A portable router for enabling a data communication terminal to belocation and device transparent according to the present invention,comprises: a first module for storing a digital communication address ofa user; a second module for detecting a data communication networklocation to which the terminal is connected; a third module fordetecting communication devices that are connected to the terminal; afourth module for establishing data communication between the terminaland the network such that the communication address of the location fromthe second module is automatically converted to the communicationaddress of the user from the first module; and a fifth module forautomatically selecting a communication device which was detected by thethird module for use by the fourth module.

The present nomadic router utilizes a unique process embodied in aself-contained apparatus which manipulates the packets of data beingsent between the host computers and routers. This process provides anintelligent active universal translation of the content of the packetsbeing transmitted between the host computer and nomadic router. Thetranslation allows the host computer to communicate with the nomadicrouter even when the host computer is not configured to communicate withthe nomadic router.

This is achieved by the nomadic router pretending to be the router whichthe host is configured for, and by the nomadic router pretending to bethe host which the router expects to communicate with. Therefore, thenomadic router supports the mobility of computers in that it enablesthese computers to plug into the network at different locations(location independence) without having to install, configure, or utilizeany new protocols on the mobile computer.

The mobile computer continues to operate without being aware of thechange in location or new configuration, and the nomadic routertranslates the data allowing the host to think that it is communicatingwith the router. By putting this process in a self-contained apparatus,the deployment of new protocols can be performed independently of thehost computer and its operating system (host independent).

All specialized processing and translation is stored internally in thenomadic router with standard interfaces to the host device and variouscommunication devices. Thus, no new standards need be adopted. Byremoving the complexity of supporting different network environments outof the mobile computer and into this self-contained apparatus, thenomadic router allows the host computer to maintain a very minimal setof software protocols and functionality (e.g., the minimum functionalitytypically installed in network computers) to communicate-across thenetwork.

The nomadic router translation ability also enables the use of alternatecommunication paths (device independence) without the host computerbeing aware of any new communication device that utilizes an alternatecommunication path. The translation of the packets is done not just atthe physical, link, or network layer of the protocol stack but at thetransport and application layers as well. This allows the network card,protocol stack, and application running on the host computer to beindependent of the network environment and configuration.

As an example of the communication device independence, the translationallows soft handoff, increased throughput, and fault tolerance bysupporting multiple communication substrates. In addition, the nomadicrouter translation ability provides a flexible process for deployingenhanced nomadic and mobile computing software and services such asfiltering of packets and determining which packets should be allowed tobe transmitted between the mobile computer and the nomadic router orlocal area network (Internal Firewall).

The router apparatus can be: (i) carried with the mobile user (e.g.,using an external box); (ii) attached to the mobile computer (e.g.,PCMCIA card); (iii) installed inside the mobile computer (e.g., a chipin the laptop); (iv) or installed into the network infrastructure so itwill already be there when the mobile computer user arrives (e.g., a boxwhich plugs into the local area network translating packets being sentbetween the host and nomadic router, or a chip which is installed inrouters on the network). The nomadic router can also be provided in theform of software which is loaded into and run in the mobile computer oranother computer or router on a network.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a computer system 10 is illustrated in blockdiagram form. The computer system 10 includes a plurality of computers14 that can communicate with one or more online services 22 or networksvia a gateway device 12 providing the interface between the computers 14and the various networks 20 or online services 22. One embodiment ofsuch a gateway device has been described in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 08/816,174 (referred to herein as the Gateway Device Application),the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, thegateway device 12 facilitates transparent computer 14 access to theonline services 22 or networks 22, such that the computers 14 can accessany networks via the device 12 regardless of their networkconfigurations. Additionally, the gateway device 12 includes the abilityto recognize computers attempting to access a network 12, the locationof computers attempting to access a network, the identity of usersattempting to gain network access, and additional attributes, as will bediscussed below with respect to the dynamic AAA methods and systems ofthe present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the computer system 10 also includes an accessconcentrator 16 positioned between the computers 14 and the gatewaydevice 12 for multiplexing the signals received from the plurality ofcomputers onto a link to the gateway device 12. Depending upon themedium by which the computers 14 are connected to the accessconcentrator, the access concentrator 16 can be configured in differentmanners. For example, the access concentrator can be a digitalsubscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) for signals transmitted viaregular telephone lines, a cable head end (a Cable Modem TerminationShelf (CMTS)) for signals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wirelessaccess point (WAP) for signals transmitted via a wireless network, aswitch, or the like.

The computer system 10 further includes a AAA server 30 that dynamicallyauthenticates and authorizes user access, as explained in detail below,such that users are subjected to a AAA process upon attempting to gainaccess to a network through the gateway device 12. Finally, as is shownin FIG. 1, the computer system 10 typically includes one or more routers18 and/or servers (not shown in FIG. 1) to control or direct traffic toand from a plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services22. While the computer system 10 is depicted to have a single router,the computer system 10 can have a plurality of routers, switches,bridges, or the like that are arranged in some hierarchical fashion inorder to appropriately route traffic to and from the various networks 20or online services 22. In this regard, the gateway device 12 typicallyestablishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, in turn,establish links with the servers of the networks 20 or online services22, based upon the user's selection. It will be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art that one or more devices illustrated in FIG. 1may be combinable. For example, although not shown, the router 18 may belocated entirely within the gateway device 12.

Users and computers attempting to access a network 20 or online service22 via the gateway device 12 are referred to hereinafter as sources.According to AAA methods and systems of the present invention, a sourceattempting to access a network via the gateway device 12 isauthenticated based on attributes associated therewith. These attributescan include the identity of a particular user or computer, locationthrough which access is requested, requested network or destination, andthe like. As is explained in detail in the Gateway Device Application,these attributes are identified by data packets transmitted to thegateway device 12 from the computers through which access is requested.According to one embodiment, methods and systems of the presentinvention provide dynamic authentication, authorization and accountingbased upon these attributes. Generally, as used herein authenticationrefers to the identification of the source, authorization refers to thedetermination of permittable source access, and accounting refers to thetracking of a source's access to a network.

Referring now to the authentication function of systems and methods ofpresent invention, it will be appreciated that authenticating a sourceattempting to access the network is often crucial to networkadministration, as network access and services are not typically laidopen for all users regardless of identity or payment. As stated above, asource may be identified by the gateway device 12 by one or moreattributes contained within data packets transmitted to the device fromthe computer associated with the source attempting to access a networkor service, referred to hereinafter as the source computer. Forinstance, where the source is a user, the source computer is thecomputer through which the user is attempting to access a network ornetwork destination. On the other hand, where the source is a computerthrough which one or more user may request access to a network, thesource computer is that computer through which access is requested.

According to one aspect of the invention, a source computer attemptingto access a network via the gateway device 12 may be identified one ormore attributes that include a circuit ID, MAC address, user name, IDand/or password, or particular location (e.g., a communications port ina hotel room), or the like, transmitted to the gateway device 12 viadata packets generated by the source computer, as described in U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/161,093, titled “Location-BasedIdentification and Authorization for use With a Gateway Device.” It willbe appreciated that one or more of these attributes can be used in thepresent invention to identify the source accessing the network. By meansof an illustrative example, where sources are different users havingdissimilar authentication and authorization rights, the users mayidentify themselves by their respective login information (e.g., username and password) such that they will be independently identifieddespite the use of the same equipment, such as the same computer. On theother hand, where the source is a computer, diverse users using thecomputer will have like authentication and authorization rightsregardless of the individual rights of each user, as the rights areassociated with the computer (e.g., identified by MAC address), ratherthan with the respective users.

The authentication of sources via an attribute associated with thesource is performed by the AAA server 30, illustrated in FIG. 1. The AAAserver 30 stores source profiles corresponding to sources identified bythe AAA server 30. According to one aspect of the present invention, theAAA server 30 is located entirely within the gateway device 12.According to another aspect of the invention, the AAA server 30 cancomprise a plurality of components, at least some of which are externalto the gateway device 12, or alternatively, the AAA server 30 can belocated entirely external to the gateway device 12. For example, thelocation of the AAA server 30 may be such that the gateway device 12communicates with the AAA server 30 via internet protocol. According toone embodiment of the invention, the AAA server 30 can be maintained byan ISP, which identifies sources authorized to communicate with thenetwork via the ISP. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the AAAserver 30 may be located at any internet address and stored on anycomputer accessible via internet protocol.

According to one aspect of the invention, a separate source profileexists for each source accessing the system. Source profiles aremaintained in a source profile database, which may be an internalcomponent of the AAA server 30, an external component of the AAA server30, or a separate component in communication with the AAA server 30.Preferably, the source profile database is located external to thegateway device and network to alleviate administrative burden on thenetwork so that the network does not have to set up and maintainseparate authentication databases on each network or gateway device.This is also preferable because each gateway device 12 allows a finitenumber of users to access the network, which requires multiple gatewaydevices to accommodate a large number of sources. Secondly,administering and maintaining one consolidated database ofauthentication data is easier than multiple smaller databases. Lastly,locating the source profile database external to the local network canallow an ISP or third party provider to maintain the confidentiality ofthe information stored within the database and maintain and control thedatabase in any manner the third party provider so desires.

The source profile includes one or more names, passwords, addresses,VLAN tags, MAC addresses and other information pertinent to identify,and, if so desired, bill, a source. Upon a source's attempt to access anetwork via the gateway device 12, the AAA server 30 attempts toauthenticate the source by comparing stored source profiles in thesource profile database with the attributes received from the gatewaydevice 12 or source to determine the source identity. As an illustrativeexample, where a user attempts to access the network by entering a userID and password, the user ID and password are compared against all IDsand passwords stored in the source profile database to determine theidentity of the user. As such, the source profile database generallycomprises a database or data storage means in communication withprocessing means located within the AAA server 30 or gateway device 12,where the source profile database and processor work in conjunction tocompare received attributes to stored source profile information, as iswell known in the art.

The source profile database may comprise programmable storage hardwareor like means located on a conventional personal computer, mainframecomputer, or another suitable storage device known in the art.Additionally, the means for comparing the received data to the datawithin the database can comprise any software, such as an executablesoftware program, which can compare data. For example, the AAA server 30may store source profiles on a hard drive of a personal computer, andthe means for comparing the received source data to the source profilesresident on the computer can include computer software, such asMicrosoft Excel (Microsoft Excel is a trademark of MicrosoftCorporation, Redmond, Wash.). According to another embodiment of theinvention, the AAA server 30 or source profile database can comprise aRemote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) or a LightweightDirectory Access Protocol (LDAP) database, which are well known to thoseof skill in the art.

If a source fails to correspond to a source profile in the AAA server 30at the time of authentication, the source will not be permitted accessto the network. When this occurs, a user or user associated with anon-user source may be requested to input source profile information tothe AAA server 30 so that the AAA server 30 can add the source's profileto the AAA server 30, and more specifically, to the source profiledatabase. For example, this may occur the first time a user attempts toaccess the gateway device 12. According to another aspect of theinvention, where the source cannot be identified, the source may bedirected to a login page in order to gather additional information toidentify the source. For instance, the information may be entered withthe aid of a webpage, a pop-up control panel or user interface, whichcan open when the source initially connects to the gateway device 12, aseffectuated by a home page redirection capability, described herein andin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/458,569, now U.S. Pat. No.6,636,894, entitled “Systems And Methods For Redirecting Users HavingTransparent Computer Access To A Network Using A Gateway Device HavingRedirection Capability,” incorporated elsewhere herein (referred tohereinafter as the “Redirection Application”).

According to one aspect of the invention, the AAA server 30 can identifythe source in communication with the gateway device in a manner that istransparent to computer users. That is, according to one aspect of theinvention, a user will not be required to input identificationinformation, reconfigure the source computer or otherwise change thesource computer's primary network settings. Furthermore, no additionalconfiguration software will have to be added to the source computer.After a packet is received by the gateway device, attributes identifiedby the data packet can be compared with the data contained in the sourceprofile database. Therefore, in addition to not requiring thereconfiguration of computers accessing the network, AAA servers of thepresent invention have the ability to authenticate sources withoutrequiring interactive steps by the computer user, such as the enteringof a user ID. For instance, the AAA server 30 may automatically identifythe source based upon a MAC address, so that authorization of the sourcecan be readily determined. Therefore, it will be appreciated that theAAA server 30 can determine the user, computer, or location from whichaccess is requested by comparing the attributes associated with thereceived data packet (such as in a header of the data packet) with datadrawn from the source profile database. As will be described below, theaccess rights associated with the source may also be stored within thesource profile database so that the system and method of the presentinvention can dynamically authorize access to particular services ordestinations.

Once the source has established the network service connection via theauthentication process discussed above, and a tunnel has been opened tofacilitate a communication line between the source computer and anetwork, the gateway device 12 communicates with the AAA server 30 toassemble source profile information, or source-specific data. The sourceprofile information that the gateway device assembles may include a MACaddress, name or ID, circuit ID, billing scheme related data, servicelevel data, user profile data, remote-site related data, and like datarelated to the source. As such, the AAA server 30 can transmit to thegateway device 12 any requisite information relating to the source'sauthorization rights and use of the network, as is next explained indetail.

In addition to authenticating users, the AAA server 30 of the presentinvention provides an authorization function, in which the source accessrights are determined. The present invention enables dynamicauthorization of sources, such that each source might have differentrespective network usage or access rights. After authentication, the AAAserver 30 compares the attributes of the source with the access rightsof the source associated with the user, computer, location orattribute(s). The access rights may be stored within the source profiledatabase or within a separate subscription database located internal orexternal to the gateway device 12. Therefore, separate databases may beutilized, where one stores identification information on sources forauthentication, and another database stores the access rights of thosesources that have been authenticated. However, because the profiles ofall sources, identified by attribute or a combination of attributes, arestored in a source profile database, it may be advantageous to locateinformation regarding access rights in the source profile database,which already contains information regarding each authenticated source,as described above.

According to one aspect of the invention the source profile databasestores information defining the access rights of a source. For example,a source profile database may contain information indicating that asource having a particular MAC address has purchased pre-paid access, orthat a given circuit ID has free access or unlimited access. Guests in aparticular room or rooms of a hotel, for example, suites and penthouses,may receive free unlimited Internet access. Therefore, access rights canbe available contingent upon the source's location (e.g. room) orlocation status (e.g. suite). In this event, no further identificationis required, as the location from which the source is requesting accessis known to the gateway device and stored in the source profiledatabase.

In addition to storing information concerning what each source isauthorized to access, the source profile database can also includespecialized access information associated with a particular source, suchas the bandwidth of the source's access, or a homepage to which thesource should be directed. For example, a user accessing the networkfrom a penthouse may receive a higher access baud rate than someoneaccessing the network from a typical hotel room. For example, where auser is transparently accessing the gateway device from a hotel room,the hotel network administrator may enter user access information intothe source profile database based upon access rights associated with aroom in the hotel. This can also be done automatically by the gatewaydevice or a local management system, such as a hotel property managementsystem, when the user checks into his or her room. Additionally, theuser may establish the information to be contained within the sourceprofile database upon first accessing the gateway device. For instance,a new user may be directed to enter a credit card number, e-walletaccount information, pre-paid calling card number or like billinginformation to obtain access to the system. A source profile can alsoinclude historical data relating to a source's access to the network,including the amount of time a source has accessed the network.Specialized access or accounting information contained within the sourceprofile database may be established by the system administrator, or bythe source who has purchased or otherwise established access to thenetwork.

According to one aspect of the invention, the authorization capabilityof the AAA server 30 can be based upon the type of services the sourceis attempting to access, such as a destination address, identified bythe gateway device 12 based upon data received from the source computer.The destination can be a destination port, Internet address, TCP port,network, or the like. Moreover, the authorization capability of the AAAserver 30 can be based upon the content type or protocol beingtransmitted. According to the system and method of the presentinvention, each packet can be filtered through the selective AAAprocess, so that any or all sources can be authorized access to aparticular destination based on the access rights associated with therespective sources. Therefore, according to the present invention, eachtime the source attempts to access a different destination, the sourceis subject to the AAA, so the source may be prevented access from aparticular site the AAA server 30 deems inaccessible to the source basedupon the source's authorization. Alternatively, the AAA method accordingto the present invention allows some or all sources to connect directlyto a specific site, such as credit card or billing servers forcollecting billing information, which can collect payment or billinginformation so that the source profile can be updated and the sourcethereafter authorized access to networks. According to the system andmethod of the present invention, a source's authorization can alsodepend upon objective criteria, such as a specific time, so that thesession can be terminated at a specific time, after a specific time haselapsed, or according to other dynamic information determined by thenetwork provider. Furthermore, authorization can be associated with acombination of attributes. For example, a user may be authorized accessto a network where the user has input the user's identification and hasaccessed the network from a particular room. Such a requirement couldprevent unauthorized users also staying in a particular room fromobtaining network access. Therefore, AAA can be based upon theorigination, destination, and type of traffic.

By way of further explanation, a flow chart of the operation of the AAAserver 30 will be described with respect to FIG. 2, according to oneaspect of the invention. In operation, a source computer requests (block200) access to a network, destination, service, or the like. Uponreceiving a packet transmitted to the AAA server 30, the AAA server 30examines the packet to determine the identity of the source (block 210).The attributes transmitted via the packet are temporarily stored in thesource profile database so that the data can be examined for use indetermining authorization rights of the source. The attributes containedin the packet can include network information, source IP address, sourceport, link layer information, source MAC address, VLAN tag, circuit ID,destination IP address, destination port, protocol type, packet type,and the like. After this information is identified and stored, accessrequested from a source is matched against the authorization of thatsource (block 230).

Once a source profile has been determined by accessing the authorizationrights stored in the source profile database, three possible actions canresult. Specifically, once a source's authorization rights have beenretrieved the AAA server 30 may determine a source to have access 222,to be pending or in progress 224, or to not have access 226. First, asource is deemed valid (i.e., to have access) where the source profiledatabase so states. If a source is determined to be valid, the source'straffic can be allowed to proceed out of the gateway device to thenetworks or online services the user associated with the source wishesto access (block 230). Alternatively, the source may be redirected to aportal page, as described in the Redirecting Application, prior to beingallowed access to the requested network. For example, a user may beautomatically forwarded to a user-input destination address, such as anInternet address, for example, where a user has free access associatedwith the user's hotel room. Alternatively, this may occur where the userhas already purchased access and the user has not exhausted availableaccess time. Furthermore, an accounting message may be initiated 230 tolog the amount of time the user is utilizing the gateway device suchthat the user or location may be billed for access.

If the second scenario occurs, in which the source is deemed pending 224or in progress, the source may take steps to become authenticated (block240) so that the source information is recorded in the source profiledatabase. For example, a user may have to enter into a purchaseagreement, requiring the user to enter a credit card number. If the userneeds to purchase access, or if the system needs additional informationabout the user, the user can be redirected from the portal page via HomePage Redirect (HPR) and Stack Address Translation (SAT) to a location,such as a login page, established to validate new users. SAT and HPR canintervene to direct the user to a webserver (external or internal) wherethe user has to login and identify themselves. This process is describedin detail in the Redirecting Application. After inputting any necessaryand sufficient information, the user is then be permitted access to adestination address (block 230, 250). Where the information provided isinsufficient the user will not be authorized access (block 260).Finally, a third scenario can occur in which a source is deemed not tohave access 226 so that the user is not permitted to access adestination via the network (block 260).

Referring now to the accounting function of systems and methods of thepresent invention, upon authorizing a source network access, the AAAserver 30 can register an accounting start to identify that the sourceis accessing the network. Similarly, when the source logs off orterminated the network session, an accounting stop can be registered bythe AAA server 30. Accounting starts or stops can be identified by thegateway device 12 or by the AAA server 30 upon a source's authenticationor authorization to access a desired destination. Furthermore,accounting starts or stops can be registered in the source profile, orcan be stored in a database separate from the AAA server 30 and locatedexternal to the network. Typically, accounting starts and stops includetime stamps that indicate the amount of time a source has been accessingthe network. Using this data, the time between the accounting start andaccounting stop can be tallied so that the source's total connectiontime may be computed. Such information is valuable where the source ischarged by an increment of time, such as an hour. A billing package, asare well known in the art, could then tally a user's total timeaccessing the network over a set period, such as each month, so that abill can be created for the source. Because networks and ISPs often maycharge a set rate for a specific duration of time (i.e., flat ratepricing), such as a month, regardless how much time is being spentaccessing the network, accounting stops and starts may not be requiredfor billing purposes. Nevertheless, accounting starts and stops maygenerally be recorded by the network provider or ISP for usagestatistics.

An ISP or similar access provider would additionally benefit from beingable to track subscriber's use of the ISP to establish bills, historicalreports, and other relevant information. Preferably, the AAA server 30is in communication with one or more processors for determining any feeswhich may be charged to the source, or due from the source, for networkaccess or services. The AAA server 30 retrieves the historicalaccounting data in a real time basis or after a specific interval oftime has elapsed. Preferably, the AAA server 30 retains such data in aneasily accessible and manipulatable format such that the access provider(e.g., ISP) can produce reports representative of any desired type ofhistorical data. For example, to project future use of the accessprovider, the AAA server 30 produces reports tallying the number ofusers accessing the Internet at certain time periods and from specificlocales. Moreover, where the access provider provides alternative accessto users, such as charging for faster connections (i.e., higher baudrate) for additional fees, the access provider may wish to analyzehistorical data using the AAA server 30 to best meet future customerdemands. Such data may relate to network sessions currently on-going,the duration of those sessions, the bandwidth currently being used, thenumber of bytes that have been transferred and any other pertinentinformation. The AAA server 30 may be implemented using well knownprograms, such as Eclipse Internet Billing System, Kenan BroadbandInternet Billing Software (manufactured by Lucent Technologies), or TRURADIUS Accountant.

It will be appreciated that the AAA server 30 can dynamically accountsource access to a network in the same manner in which access iscustomizable on a source by source basis. That is, the AAA server 30 canmaintain accounting records that vary depending upon the identity of asource, source location, source requested destination, or the like. Likethe access or authorization rights, this information can be maintainedin the source profile database or a similar accounting database. Forinstance, the AAA server 30 may determine that a particular source isonly charged for accessing particular sites, and will only register anaccounting site when those particular sites are accessed. Therefore, theAAA server 30 will identify account information stored in thesubscriber's source profile to determine accounting starts, accountingstops, billing rates, and the like.

Referring again to FIG. 1 in describing another embodiment of theinvention, a computer system 10 including a gateway device 12 isdepicted in block diagram form. The computer system 10 typicallyincludes a plurality of computers 14 that access a computer network inorder to gain access to networks 20 or other online services 22. Forexample, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports that are located indifferent rooms of a hotel, business, or a multi-dwelling unit.Alternatively, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports in an airport,an arena, or the like. The gateway device 12 provides an interfacebetween the plurality of computers 14 and the various networks 20 orother online services 22. One embodiment of a gateway device has beendescribed by the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/816,174.

Most commonly, the gateway device 12 is located near the computers 14 ata relatively low position in the overall network (i.e., the gatewaydevice 12 will be located within the hotel, multi-unit residence,airport, etc.). However, the gateway device 12 can be located at ahigher, position in the system by being located closer to the variousnetworks 20 or other online services 22, if so desired. For example, thegateway device 12 could be located at a network operating center orcould be located before or after a router 18 in the computer network.Although the gateway device 12 can be physically embodied in manydifferent fashions, the gateway device 12 typically includes acontroller and a memory device in which software is stored that definesthe operational characteristics of the gateway device 12. Alternatively,the gateway device 12 can be embedded within another network device,such as an access concentrator 16 or a router 18. Moreover, the softwarethat defines the functioning of the gateway device 12 can be stored on aPCMCIA card that can be inserted into a computer of the plurality ofcomputers 14 in order to automatically reconfigure the computer tocommunicate with a different computer system, such as the networks 20and online services 22.

The computer system 10 typically includes an access concentrator 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device 12. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers 14 are connected to the access concentrator, the accessconcentrator 16 can be configured in different manners. For example, theaccess concentrator can be a digital subscriber line access multiplexer(DSLAM) for signals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cablehead end for signals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless accesspoint (WAP) for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a cablemodem termination shelf (CMTS), a switch or the like. As also shown inFIG. 1, the computer system 10 typically includes one or more routers 18and/or servers (not shown in FIG. 1) to control or direct traffic to andfrom a plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services 22.While the computer system 10 is depicted to have a single router, thecomputer system 10 can have a plurality of routers, switches, bridges,or the like that are arranged in some hierarchical fashion in order toappropriately route traffic to and from the various networks 20 oronline services 22. In this regard, the gateway device 12 typicallyestablishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, in turn,establish links with the servers of other networks or other onlineservice providers, such as Internet service providers, based upon theuser's selection. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in theart that one or more devices illustrated in FIG. 1 may be combinable.For example, although not shown, the router 18 may be located entirelywithin the gateway device 12.

The gateway device 12 of the present invention is specifically designedto adapt to the configuration of each of the computers 14 that log ontothe computer system 10 in a manner that is transparent to the user andthe computer networks 20 or online services 22. In the embodiment shownin FIG. 1, the computer system 10 employs dynamic host configurationprotocol (DHCP) service, which is a protocol well known to those ofskill in the art and currently implemented in many computer networks. InDHCP networks an EP address is assigned to an individual computer of theplurality of computers 14 when the computer logs onto the computernetwork through communication with the gateway device 12. The DHCPservice can be provided by an external DHCP server 24 or it can beprovided by an internal DHCP server located within the gateway device.

In order to allow a user of the computer to communicate transparentlywith computer networks 20 or online services 22, the gateway device mustbe able to communicate with the user computer, as well as the variousonline services 22 or networks 20. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 12 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to both the user and thenetwork. In this regard, for outbound traffic from a computer to anetwork or on-line service, the gateway device 12 changes attributeswithin the packet coming from the user, such as the source address,checksum, and application specific parameters, to meet the criteria ofthe network to which the user has accessed. In addition, the outgoingpacket includes an attribute that will direct all incoming packets fromthe accessed network to be routed through the gateway device. Incontrast, the inbound traffic from the computer network or other onlineservice that is routed through the gateway device undergoes atranslation function at the gateway device so that the packets areproperly formatted for the user's host computer. In this manner, thepacket translation process that takes place at the gateway device 12 istransparent to the host, which appears to send and receive data directlyfrom the accessed computer network. By implementing the gateway deviceas an interface between the user and the computer network or otheronline service, however, the user will eliminate the need tore-configure their computer 12 upon accessing subsequent networks aswell as the need to load special configuration software on theircomputer to support the reconfiguration.

FIG. 3 illustrates a “Nomadic” translator or router 110 embodying thepresent invention as being connected between a host device or computer112 and a communications device 114. The host device 112 is a laptopcomputer or other fixed or mobile digital data communication terminalwhich is sufficiently portable or mobile that it can be carried from onelocation or another. A laptop computer, for example, can be used in anyconvenient location such as an airplane, customer's office, home, etc.

The communications device 114 can be part of any type of communicationsystem to which the host computer 112 can be connected. Suchcommunication systems include, but are not limited to, local networks,wide area networks, dial-up and direct internet connections, etc. In atypical application the communications device will connect the hostcomputer to a local network which itself is connected to the internet.Thus, the host device 112 is able to communicate with an unlimitednumber of networks and nodes which are themselves interconnected withrouters, switches, bridges, etc. in any known manner.

The present router 110 includes a terminal interface 110 a whichnormally is used to connect the router 110 to the host device 112, and asystem interface 110 b which connects the router 110 to thecommunications device 114. As will be further described below, therouter 110 generally includes a processor consisting of hardware and/orsoftware which implements the required functionality. The router 110 isfurther configured to operate in an alternate mode in which the hostdevice 112 is connected directly to a network, and the router 110 isalso connected to a point in the network via the system interface 110 b.In this case, the terminal interface 110 as is unused.

Although the device 110 is described herein as being a router, it willbe understood that the router 110 is not a conventional router in thatit includes the capability for providing interconnectability betweennetworks. Instead, the present router 110 is essentially a translatorwhich enables the host device 112 to be automatically and transparentlyconnected to any communications device 114, and process incoming andoutgoing data for the device 122.

The host device 112 is provided with a permanent internet address whichis conveniently not changed in accordance with the present invention.The device 122 is also initially configured to communicate with aparticular gateway or other home device at its base location. Thegateway has a home address which the device 122 attempts to locate whenit is connected to any communication system. Without the functionalityof the present nomadic router 110, the host device 122 would not be ableto operate at a remote location because it would not find its gateway.

It will be understood that the term “home” does not relate to aresidence, but is the network, gateway or other communication device orsystem to which the terminal is normally connected and which correspondsto the home internet or IP address.

FIG. 3 further illustrates a top protocol layer 116 representing thehost computing device 112 which generates and consumes data that istransferred through the communications device 114. This interface 116 isdone just below the IP layer, and above the link layer in the typicalOSI/ISO model. In the middle is a layer 118 which represents the router110 and whose function it is to adaptively configure and utilize theunderlying communications device and provide the router supportdescribed herein. A lower layer 120 is a physical communication whichcarries out the communication (potentially wire-lined Internet based,ad-hoc or wireless) as made available and determined for use by thenomadic router or user. Between the router layer 118 and the layers 116and 120 are interfaces 122 and 124 which the router 110 identifies andconfigures dynamically.

The present router operates with host computers, routers, and othernetwork devices through well-defined standard interfaces such asspecified by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) and IEEEstandardization committees. These standards specify the packet format,content, and physical communication characteristics. As shown in FIG. 9a, host computers have to be configured at various layers of theprotocol stack depending on the communication capabilities andconfiguration of the current network being attached to.

Hubs, as shown in FIG. 9 b, provide a well-defined interface to connecthost computers and network devices by transmitting packets acrossmultiple physical connections. Hubs do not provide any manipulate ortranslation of the content of the packets being transmitted.

Bridges or switches, as shown in FIG. 9 c, provide an intelligentfiltering mechanism by which they only transmit packets across multiplephysical connection based upon which physical connection the device isconnected to, according to the link layer addressing (Media AccessControl Address). Bridges and switches do not manipulate the content ofthe packet and do not provide any higher layer protocol functionality.

Routers, as shown in FIG. 9 d, accept packets based upon the destinationaddress at the network layer in the packet. The host computer mustexplicitly address the packet at the link layer to the router. Therouter will then retransmit the packet across the correct physicalconnection based upon how it is configured. No modification ortranslation of the packet is performed at any layer of the protocolstack other than the network layer.

Firewalls, as shown in FIG. 9 e, filter packets at the network andtransport layers to only allow certain packets to be retransmitted on tothe other physical connection. Firewalls do not manipulate the contentof the packet, only forward it on to the next hop in the network if itpasses the transport (port) or network (IP address) filter.

Proxys and gateways, as show in FIG. 9 f, only receive packetsexplicitly addressed to them by host computers. They only manipulatepackets at the application level. The present nomadic outer 110, asshown in FIG. 9 g, manipulates the content of the jackets at the link,network, transport, and application layers of the protocol stack toprovide a translation between how the host computer is configured andthe configuration of the network the host computer is currently attachedto.

Unlike all other devices shown in FIGS. 7 a to 7 f, the router 110 willautomatically intercept and translate packets without the other devicesbeing aware of the router 110 or have to be configured to use it. Thetranslation algorithms in the router 110 which provide this locationindependence are provided completely internal to the router 110. Thus nonew standards need to be developed, accepted, or implemented in hostcomputers 112 or routers 126 to deploy new network services when usingthe nomadic router.

Whenever a new or different communication device (which includes thelink and physical layers) is utilized in a host computer 112, the hostcomputer's network layer must be aware of this new communication device.Since the router 110 has its own network interface to the communicationdevice, alternate communication devices can be utilized in the router110 which the host computer 112 can utilize but does not have to beconfigured to use.

Permanent Addressing not Location Based

Today we communicate with individuals in terms of the location of theircommunications instruments (for instance, their computer's IP address ortheir fax machine's phone number). In order to support mobility andchanging communication environments and devices, it is necessary tocreate an environment where people communicate with other people, andnot specifically with the devices they use. To transparently supportmobility and adaptivity in a wireless, potentially ad-hoc, communicationinternetwork, a common virtual network must be provided by anintelligent device or agent which supports the various computing hostsand communication devices.

The present nomadic router 110 provides the mapping between the locationbased IP address used in the Internet today and the permanent user basedaddress housed in the host CPU in the device 112. This is illustrated inFIG. 4 as “IP Mapping”. This mapping is done without support orknowledge of such mapping by the host CPU or user.

The Internet RFC 2002 Mobile IP protocol specifies the mapping betweenpermanent and temporary IP addresses. The unique aspect of the nomadicrouter is that the Mobile IP protocols are not necessarily running in,or supported by, the host CPU but rather are internal to the nomadicrouter. The host configuration information such as its IP number arediscovered or determined as illustrated—in FIG. 6 and stored in thenomadic router 110 as illustrated in FIG. 4 as “Host Info.” Thisconfiguration process is overviewed in FIG. 5.

Optional Off-Loaded Processing

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the nomadic router 110 can provide off-loadcommunication processing for the host CPU by being physically separatefrom the host device 112. The adaptation, selection, and transportationof information across the network is performed by the nomadic router110. This allows the host terminal or device 112 to utilize the networkwithout having to directly support the network protocols. By having thenomadic router be responsible for adapting to the current networksubstrate, the host CPU can maintain a higher performance by not havingto run the routing, adaptation, packetization, etc. algorithms or packetprocessing.

The nomadic router can also queue, transmit, and receive dataindependent of whether or not the host device 112 is available or evenattached. The CPU 11 built into the nomadic router 110 provides allnecessary computing routines to be a fully functional networkco-processor independent of the host CPU. This will allow increasedbattery for the user since the nomadic router does not have numeroususer I/O devices as does the host device 112.

Location Independence

The instant network nomadic router provides the ability to provideubiquitous and reliable support in a location independent fashion. Thisremoves any burden on the user for device reconfiguration (e.g., IPaddress configuration, gateway or next hop router address, netmask, linklevel parameters, and security permissions) or data transmission.

The problem with existing protocol stacks is that communicating deviceshave to be reconfigured every time the communication environmentchanges. TCP/IP requires a new network, node and gateway number.Appletalk will automatically choose an unused node number and discoverthe network number, but all open communications are lost and serviceshave to be restarted to begin using the new information.

This occurs, for example, when a PowerBook is plugged into a network,put to sleep, and then powered up in a different network. All networkservices, are restarted upon wakeup, and network applications getconfused if they, are not restarted. The nomadic router solves thisproblem by providing temporary as well as permanent network and nodenumbers similar, to that provided by Mobile IP. However, the nomadicrouter will also work with other protocol stacks (e.g., AppleTalk).

Mobile IP provides location independence at the network level and not atthe link level. All link level parameters, which are device specific,will be automatically configured as illustrated in FIG. 7 when a newcommunications (network interface) device is attached to the nomadicrouter. The nomadic router completely eliminates the need for manualconfiguration by adaptively supporting device independence.

A problem with existing routers today is that they require manualconfiguration and exist external to the node. To overcome this, thenomadic router can support automatic configuration and full routerfunctionality internally. This allows a mobile or nomadic node to adaptto various communication and network devices dynamically, such as whenthe user plugs in a PCMCIA card or attaches a communications device tothe serial port.

Once the nomadic router becomes aware of the available communicationdevices and activates them, the transport of data across the multiplecommunication substrates can take place. The unique algorithm andprotocol in the nomadic router which chooses the most appropriate deviceto use, is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 as part of the nomadic routerDevice Checker through the “nomadic router Device Selection” across eachinterface.

There are numerous factors that can affect the selection of utilizingone or more devices. Such factors typically include available bandwidth,cost to initiate and maintain connection, power requirements andavailability, and user's preference.

Another feature of the nomadic router is the support for alternate orsimultaneous use of various communication substrates. This is performedas part of step 5 in FIG. 8 when the source address is that of thecommunication substrate that the nomadic router is going to send thepacket out on. Host computers will now indirectly be able to utilize twoor more communication substrates, either to increase throughput or toprovide soft-, handoff capability.

This functionality is not supported in today's typical protocol stacks(e.g., TCP/IP or AppleTalk). Once the nomadic router becomes aware ofthe available communication devices and activates them, the transport ofdata across the multiple communication substrates can take place. Theunique algorithm and protocol in the nomadic router which chooses themost appropriate device to use is part of the “nomadic router DeviceChecker” through the “nomadic router Device Selection” across eachinterface.

There are numerous factors that can affect the selection of utilizingone or more devices. Such factors typically include available bandwidth,cost to initiate and maintain connection, power requirements andavailability, and user's preference.

Apparatus Packaging

As described above, the nomadic router can be packaged in severaldifferent hardware configurations. The nomadic router can be embedded inthe host computer, or network device such as a switch or router. It canalso be implemented as a PCMCIA card which plugs into the host computeror as self-contained external box.

Each nomadic router can have from one to many interfaces. If the router110 is put into the network infrastructure, it doesn't have to becarried around with the mobile user. As shown in FIG. 12 a, the nomadicrouter 110 is attached to a Local Area Network (LAN) of the networkinfrastructure which constitutes the communications device 114 throughthe system interface 110 b. The LAN 114 is connected through aconventional router 126 to the internet 128. In this case, the hostcomputer interface 110 a of the nomadic router 110 is not needed sincepackets from the host computer 112 are received through the LAN 114.

To provide a secure interface between the host computer 112 and network114 to prevent host computers from being able to watch (sniff) packetson the network 114, the nomadic router 110 can have one interface to thehost computer 112 (terminal interface 110 a) and a second interface (110b) to the network 114 as shown in FIG. 12 b, and provide filtering towhich packets and retransmitted between the various interfaces thusproviding a firewall type of security device but which operatesinternally on the network.

In order to support multiple host computers 112 a . . . , 112 n with asingle nomadic router 110, the nomadic router 110 may have multiple hostinterfaces 110 a 1, . . . 110 an as shown in FIG. 12 c and in FIG. 13and a network or system interface 110 b.

If the nomadic router is carried around by the mobile user, it can takethe form of a PCMCIA card. In FIG. 12 d, the nomadic router 110 isimplemented as a PCMCIA card. The processing and translation capabilityis stored inside the card and the interface to the host computer 112 isthrough a PCMCIA BUS interface or communication card 130.

As shown in FIG. 14, the PCMCIA card can fit in a type III slot wherethere is a connector on the nomadic router 110 which accepts thecommunication card 130 (a type II PCMCIA card.) In this mode, thenomadic router doesn't not have to have the communication devicespecific components inside the PCMCIA card.

The nomadic router 110 can also take the form of a type II PCMCIA card.In this form, the communication device or card 130 plugs into theopposite end of the nomadic router card 110 as illustrated in FIG. 15.

Translation Operation of the Nomadic Router

Initialization and Self Configuration

The nomadic router initialization and self configuration processprovides the means by which the nomadic router is able to learn aboutthe host computer and network so it knows what translation is necessary.

Host Learning

The nomadic router 110 is able to learn about how the host computer 112is configured by looking at the content of the packets being sent fromthe host computer 112. Rather than the host computer 112 sending packetsdirectly to the router 126 or other network device, which is what it isinitially configured to do, the nomadic router 110 is able redirect alloutbound packets from the host computer 112 to itself. This redirectioncan be accomplished in several ways as described below.

1. Proxy ARP Packet Interception and Host Reconfiguration

Whenever a host computer 112 has an IP packet which it needs to send toa router 126 or other network device, it uses the Address ResolutionProtocol (ARP) to obtain the link layer Media Access Control address(MAC address). As illustrated in FIG. 10, when the host computer 112broadcasts and ARP request for the MAC address of a destination node,the nomadic router 110 receives this ARP request broadcast and respondswith its MAC address (not that of the destination node).

When the host computer 112 receives this ARP reply from the nomadicrouter 110, which contains the MAC address of the nomadic router 110,the host computer 112 will cache this MAC address in the host computer112 and send all packets destined for the configured router or networkdevice to the nomadic router 110. The host computer 112 will think thatthe MAC address is that of the configured IP network device, but inreality, the nomadic router 110 is pretending (proxying) to be thedevice (its home gateway) that the host computer 112 expects to find.

The nomadic router 110 is also able to reconfigure and intercept returnpackets from a router or other network device using the same process.

2. Promiscuous Mode Packet Interception

Since the MAC address is cached in the host computer 112 for a shortperiod of time, the host computer 112 will not send out a new ARPrequest to obtain the MAC address again unless a timeout period occursor the cache is cleared such as when the computer 112 is restarted.

When a conventional network device receives or hears a packet with a MACaddress which does not match its own, it will ignore or drop the packet.Since it is possible to rapidly switch from one network environment toanother using a portable computer, the nomadic router 110 must be ableto intercept packets even when the MAC address is not that of thenomadic router's home gateway or device.

This is accomplished by placing the nomadic router's network connectionin promiscuous mode. In this mode, the network connection on the nomadicrouter accepts all packets being transmitted, on the communication link,not just ones being broadcasted or addressed specifically to it.

3. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Service

A host computer is able to utilize the DHCP service to obtain theconfiguration information rather than being manually configured. Thehost computer utilizing the DHCP service requires that a DHCP server beinstalled on the network segment to which it is currently attached. Ifthe host computer 112 is utilizing this service and requestsconfiguration information using DHCP, the nomadic router 110 willintercept these requests and respond with configuration information forthe host computer 112 to use.

Network Learning

The nomadic router is able to learn about the network environment it iscurrently attached using several different methods as described below.

1. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Whenever a different network connection is connected on the nomadicrouter, it will broadcast a DHCP request to obtain configurationinformation for the current network. If no DHCP service is available onthe network, it will switch to another method to learn about the networkconfiguration.

2. Router Information Packets

Routers on the network will periodically broadcast router informationpackets which are used to build routing tables and allow routers toadapt to changes in the network. The nomadic router 110 will listen onthe network for these router information packets. When one is received,it will extract out the configuration information from these packets.

3. Passive Listening

By placing the nomadic router's network connection in promiscuous mode,where is receives all packets not just ones destined for it, it is ableto examine all packets on the network to discover how the network isconfigured. It is also able to determine the IP addresses used on thelocal area network and which machines are routers by the finaldestination address not being the next hop address.

Using this method, the nomadic router 110 is passively able to learn howthe network is configured and will elect to use an unused IP address. Ifthat IP address does become used by another network device, it willswitch over to another unused IP address.

4. Manual Configuration

The network configuration information can be manually configured in thenomadic router 110. This information’ can be set using an embedded webserver, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) tools, an applicationrunning on one of the computers in the network, or other suitable means.When manual configuration is used to set the network information, thenomadic router 110 will still learn about the host informationautomatically and provide all the translation capabilities so the hostcomputers do not have to be aware of the correct network information ofthe LAN to which they are currently connected.

Packet Translation

The nomadic router's packet translation function provides a mappingbetween location and service dependent configurations used by the hostcomputer 112 and that used by the network 114 to which it is currentlyattached. For outbound traffic from the host; computer 112 to thenetwork 114, the translation function changes the content of the packetsuch as the source address, checksum, and application specificparameters, causing all packets sent out to the network 114 be directedback to the nomadic router 110 rather than to the host computer 112.

The inbound traffic from the network 114 arriving at the nomadic router110, which is really for the host computer 112, is passed through thetranslation function so the host computer 112 thinks that the replieswere sent directly to it. The host computer 112 will be completelyunaware of all the translation being performed by the nomadic router110.

The translation functions works as illustrated in FIGS. 11 a and 11 b.In these figures, the operations performed in the OSI/ISO modelapplication, transport, network, link and physical layers areillustrated in rows opposite the layer designations. The operationsperformed by the host computer 112, nomadic router 110 and network 114are illustrated in columns below the device designations.

The host computer 112 will generate network packets using the currentconfiguration stored in the host computer 112 using the standardprotocol stack as shown in step 1. This configuration information iseither manually configured in the host computer 112 or obtained usingDHCP.

As shown in step 2, when the host computer 112 addresses the link leveldestination address, the address automatically obtained using the ProxyARP packet interception routine described earlier, this will cause thehost computer 112 to send the packet to the network address of itsstandard router or home gateway device, but using the link level addressof the nomadic router 110.

In step 3, the packet is transmitted across the standard physicalconnection between the host computer 112 and nomadic router 110. Asshown in step 4, the nomadic router 110 will receive the packet at thelink level either due to the Proxy ARP function which reconfigured thehost computer's MAC address, or the nomadic router 110 will have thelink level in promiscuous mode which it will cause it to receive thepacket even if destined to a different MAC address.

Once the packet is passed to the network layer, shown in step 5, thenomadic router translation function will modify the content of thepacket to change the source address to that match of the nomadicrouter's address instead of the host computer's address. It will alsotranslate other location dependent information such as the name of thelocal Domain Name Service (DNS) server. When translating the DNS packet,it will change the source address to that of the nomadic router'saddress and the destination address to that of a local DNS server.

Once the network layer translation is complete, the packet can betranslated at the application and transport layers. The applicationlayer is translated next, as shown in step 6, since the transport layerrequires a pseudo network layer header which includes the source anddestination addresses and the content from the application layer.

At the application layer translation, any addresses which describe thesource address of the host computer, such as with FTP, are translated tobe that of the nomadic router's address. Any application layerdestination addresses, such as a local proxy server, are translated tomatch that of the server running on the current network.

Once this application translation is complete, the transport layer, asshown in step 7, can complete the checksum and any port numbermanipulation. The port number is manipulated if more than one hostcomputer 112 is attached to the nomadic router 110. Each host computer112 when it sends out a request using a specific port is translated tomatch an available inbound port on the nomadic router 110.

The port number assigned for use with each host computer 112 is storedin a table in the nomadic router 110 and is utilized with the replypacket described later. Finally the packet is sent out over the network114 in step 8.

When a reply packet comes in from the network 114, as shown in step 9,the nomadic router 110 will receive the packet. In step 110, the nomadicrouter 110 will perform the reverse network layer translation to set thedestination address to that of the host computer rather 112 than thenomadic router's address, and any source address to that replaced by thenomadic router 110 in step 5.

Once this network translation is complete, the packet is translated atthe application layer, as shown in step 11, to change the destinationaddress to that of the host computer 112 and the source address to theoriginal destination address stored from step 6. In step 112, any portmanipulation performed in step 7 is changed to the original setting anda new checksum is computed. Finally, as shown in step 13, the packet issent to the host computer 112 which then processes the packet normally.

Options of the Nomadic Router

By way of motivation, many communication infrastructures are varied andfragmented, and this problem is likely to be exacerbated as moretechnologies are introduced. For example, high performance LANs,wireless services, cellular telephony, satellite, ubiquitous pagingnetworks, all provide varying degrees of coverage, cost andbandwidth/delay characteristics.

Nomadic Intranet

The Nomadic Intranet provides all network, server type, services forusers who which to dynamically create an ad hoc network. This is similarto the instant network nomadic router except the nomadic intranet is asingle device with multiple ports into which laptop/devices can beplugged. The instant network nomadic router is distributed to (one per)each host device. The nomadic intranet not only provides ad hocnetworking but can also provide services such as temporary file storage,protocol conversion, act as a print server, and provide other servicesdescribed as part of the Basic nomadic router.

Fixed Nomadic Router

The Fixed nomadic router provides the same basic functionality andarchitecture as the portable nomadic router but is stored in onelocation. The fixed nomadic router acts as a surrogate or “Home Agent”for the user when he/she is away on travel. When the user wishes toregister or utilize their host device elsewhere in the network, theportable nomadic router will register with the fixed nomadic routerwhere it is temporarily attached to the network so information can beforwarded to the user's new location. The fixed nomadic router can alsobe used to house the master copy of the user's E-mail for the nomadicE-mail service, or files for the nomadic file synchronizer.

Mobile Virtual Private Network

The nomadic router provides the mapping between the location based IPaddress used in the internet today and the permanent user based addresshoused in the host CPU. This mapping is done without support orknowledge of such mapping by the host CPU or user. The Internet RFC 2002Mobile IP protocol specifies the mapping between permanent and temporaryIP addresses. The unique aspect of the nomadic router is that the MobileIP protocols are not necessarily running in, or supported by, the hostCPU but rather are internal to the nomadic router.

By implementing this protocol as part of the translation function in thenomadic router, the nomadic router can encapsulate packets from the hostcomputer and transmit them back to the fixed nomadic router which aresent out (un-encapsulated) on the native (home) network. Replies fromthe home network are received by the fixed nomadic router and areencapsulated and sent back to the nomadic router. When packets aretransmitted between the nomadic router and fixed nomadic router, thepackets are encrypted and sent using the Internet Tunneling Protocol.

Since the nomadic router provides location independence and the fixednomadic router forwards all packets from a corresponding host to thehost computer via the nomadic router, any changes in the location,failure of a network link, or attachment point of the mobile hostcomputer does not cause any open session to be lost. This session lossprevention is possible since the fixed nomadic router pretends to be themobile host computer, and the nomadic router pretends to be the homenetwork. The fixed nomadic router and nomadic router translationfunctions hide the link and network loss from the transport andapplication session.

Communication between users and networks or online services may beeffectuated through ports, for example, located within hotel rooms ormulti-dwelling units, or through conventional dial-up communications,such as through the use of telephone or cable modems. According to oneaspect of the invention, users can be are redirected to a portal page,as described below. After being redirected to the portal page, the useris subjected to a AAA process. Based upon the AAA process, the user maybe permitted transparent access to the destination network or may beredirected to a login page in order to gather additional information toidentify the user.

Identifying the user is crucial in authorizing access to networks oronline services, as such services are typically provided for a fee andmay be customized based upon the user, user's location, or user'scomputer. As discussed below, the user's identification may be used todirect the user to a specific portal page, which can be a particularwebpage. As such, the system of the present invention includes means foridentifying a user based upon an attribute associated with the user thatis contained within the packet transmitted from the user's computer.Attributes can include any data well known in the art for identifyingthe user, the user's location, and/or the user's computer. In general,identifying a user's computer that accesses a network can be done by amedia access control (MAC) associated with the computer. Identifying acomputer based upon a MAC address is well known to those of skill in theart, and will not be discussed in detail herein. Additionally, theattribute can be based upon a user name, ID, or according to oneadvantageous embodiment described below, a particular location, such asfrom a communications port in a hotel room. As such, the location of theuser can be the identifiable attribute.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, after a useraccesses the computer network using a computer in communication with thegateway device 12, as described above, the user is directed to a portalpage. The portal page may be maintained by an ISP or an enterprisenetwork, or by any entity maintaining a webpage on the Internet.According to one aspect of the invention, the portal page can be awebpage containing any information whatsoever, and can be created by theISP, enterprise network administrator or user. The portal page cancontain information specific to the user accessing the network, asdiscussed in detail below.

Regardless of whether a user accessing the computer network isauthorized access to the network, the user is redirected to a portalpage. After being redirected to a portal page, the gateway device of thepresent invention determines the authorization and access rights of theuser based upon an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting method.

According to one aspect of the invention, a user may be identified andauthorized access to the network or online services based uponattributes associated with the user, such as the user's location or theuser's computer. When this occurs, the user can be forwarded to a portalpage unique to that user. As described below, and also above, the usermay be identified without being queried to input any identificationinformation so that upon accessing the computer network the user isautomatically directed to a generic portal page or a portal pageestablished specifically for and unique to that user. According toanother aspect of the invention, a user may be identified and authorizedaccess based upon the user's identity after being redirected to theportal page. The user may have to enter a login name and password whileat the portal page or after being directed to a login page so that theISP or other entity maintaining the gateway device can identify theuser. After entering identifying data, the user may be directed to aparticular portal page, as in the first aspect described above.According to a third aspect of the invention, the user is not authorizedaccess to the network. Where this occurs the user will be directed fromthe portal page to a login page where the user will have to inputidentification information, such as the user's name, address, creditcard number, and other relevant data so that the user may be authorizedto access the network. After the user enters sufficient login data toestablish authorization, the user may be redirected to a portal page.

The redirection is accomplished by a Home Page Redirect (HPR) performedby the gateway device, a AAA server, or by a portal page redirect unitlocated internal to or external to the gateway device. To accomplish theredirection of a user to a portal page, HPR utilizes a Stack AddressTranslation (SAT) operation to direct the user to the portal page, whichis preferably local to the gateway device so that the redirection willbe efficient and fast. This is accomplished by redirecting the user to aprotocol stack using network and port address translation to the portalserver that can be internal to the computer network or gateway device.More specifically, the gateway device, AAA server or portal pageredirect unit receives the user's HTTP request for a web page and sendsback the HTTP response reversing the network and port addresstranslation the portal server, essentially acting as a transparent‘go-between’ to the user and portal server. It will be appreciated,however, that to receive the HTTP request the gateway device, AAA serveror portal page redirect unit must initially open a Transmission ControlProtocol (TCP) connection to a server in line with the user-requestedInternet address.

According to one aspect of the present invention, when a user initiallyattempts to access a destination location, the gateway device, AAAserver or portal page redirect unit receives this request and routes thetraffic to a protocol stack on a temporary server, which can be local tothe gateway device. This can occur where a user initially opens a webbrowser resident on the user's computer and attempts to access adestination address, such as an Internet site. The destination addresscan also include any address accessible via the network or an onlineservice, and can include the portal page. The protocol stack can pretendto be the user-entered destination location long enough to complete aconnection or ‘handshake’. Thereafter, this protocol stack directs theuser to the portal server, which can be local to the gateway device tofacilitate higher speed communication. The redirection to the portalserver can be accomplished by redirecting web pages only, rather thanall traffic, including E-mails, FTPs, or any other traffic. Therefore,once authorized, if a user does not attempt to access a webpage throughthe user's Internet browser, the gateway device can forward thecommunication transparently to the user's requested destination withoutrequiring the user to access the portal page. Furthermore, according toone aspect of the invention, specific user-input destination addressesmay be authorized to pass through the gateway device without beingredirected.

The portal page can also be specialized based on the user, user'slocation, user's computer, or any combination thereof. For example,assuming that the user has been authenticated and has authorization, thegateway device can present users with a portal page that identifies,among other things, the online services or other computer networks thatare accessible via the gateway device. In addition, the portal pagepresented by the gateway device can provide information regarding thecurrent parameters or settings that will govern the access provided tothe particular user. As such, the gateway administrator can readilyalter the parameters or other settings in order to tailor the serviceaccording to their particular application. Typically, changes in theparameters or other settings that will potentially utilize additionalresources of the computer system will come at a cost, such that thegateway administrator will charge the user a higher rate for theirservice. For example, a user may elect to increase the transfer rate atwhich signals are transmitted across the computer network and pay acorrespondingly higher price for the expedited service.

The portal page may include advertising tailored to the specific needsof the user. The gateway device would be capable of tailoring thematerial based upon user profiles in the network. The portal page mayalso incorporate surveys or links to surveys to provide the networkprovider with beneficial statistical data. As an ancillary benefit, theuser who responds to the surveys may be rewarded with network accesscredit or upgraded quality. Additionally, the service provided couldoffer additional services to the user by way of the portal page or linksto these services may be offered on the portal page. These servicesoffered by the network service provider are not limited to the servicesrelated to the network connection. For example, a hotel may desire tooffer the user in-room food service or a multi-unit dwelling may want tooffer house cleaning service.

The portal page may also comprise information related to the status ofthe current network session. By way of example this information mayinclude, current billing structure data, the category/level of servicethat the user has chosen, the bandwidth being provided to the user, thebytes of information currently sent or received, the current status ofnetwork connection(s) and the duration of the existing networkconnection(s). It is to be understood, by those skilled in the art towhich this invention relates that all conceivable useful informationrelating to the current network session could be displayed to the userin a multitude of combinations as defined by the user and/or the gatewayadministrator. The gateway administrator will have the capability todynamically change the information supplied in the portal page based onmany factors, including the location of the user, the profile of theuser and the chosen billing scheme and service level. The informationprovided in the portal page may prompt the user to adjust any number ofspecific parameters, such as the billing scheme, the routing, the levelof service and/or other user-related parameters.

The portal page may be implemented with an object-oriented programminglanguage such as Java developed by Sun Microsystems, Incorporated ofMountain View, Calif. The code that defines the portal page can beembodied within the gateway device, while the display monitor and thedriver are located with the host computers that are in communicationwith the gateway device. The object oriented programming language thatis used should be capable of creating executable content (i.e.self-running applications) that can be easily distributed throughnetworking environments. The object oriented programming language shouldbe capable of creating special programs, typically referred to asapplets that can be incorporated in portal pages to make theminteractive. In this invention the applets take the form of the portalpages. It should be noted that the chosen object-oriented programminglanguage would require that a compatible web browser be implemented tointerpret and run the portal page. It is also possible to implement theportal page using other programming languages, such as HTML, SGML andXML; however, these languages may not be able to provide all the dynamiccapabilities that languages, such as Java provide.

By re-directing the user to the portal page the gateway administrator ornetwork operator is provided the opportunity to present the user withupdated information pertaining to the remote location (i.e. the hotel,the airport etc.). By way of example the portal page may provide forlinks to the corporate home page, a travel site on the Internet, anInternet search engine and a network provider home page. Additionally,the buttons or any other field within the portal page may include othertypes of information options, such as advertising fields oruser-specific links or fields based upon data found in the user'sprofile or inputted by the user.

It will be appreciated that the portal page is not limited to supplyinginformation related to the user's billing and service plans. It is alsopossible to configure the portal page to include information that iscustomized to the user or the location/site from which the user isremotely located. For example, the user may be located at a hotel forthe purpose of attending a specific convention or conference either inthe hotel or within the immediate vicinity of the hotel. The gatewaydevice may have “learned” this information about the user through aninitial log-on profile inquiry or the gateway administer may haveinputted this information into a database.

The gateway device can store user profile information within auser-specific AAA database, as described below, or it can store andretrieve data from external databases. The gateway device can beconfigured to recognize these profiles and to customize the portal pageaccordingly. In the hotel scenario, the portal page may include a linkfor convention or conference services offered by the hotel.

In another example of location specific portal page data, the user maybe remotely accessing the gateway device while located in a specificairport terminal. The gateway device will be configured so that it iscapable of providing ready access to information related to thatspecific airport terminal, i.e. information pertaining to the currentflights scheduled to depart and arrive that terminal, the retailservices offered in that specific terminal, etc. In this manner, theportal page may include a link for terminal specific flight informationand/or terminal specific retail services available to the user.

It will also be appreciated that the HPR may be configured so a user isredirected to a portal page upon specific default occurrences, such as atime out, or according to preset time. For example, the portal page mayact as a screen-saver, where the user is redirected to a portal pageafter a given period of inactivity. These functions may be establishedby the ISP or enterprise network administrator.

Customization of the information comprising the portal page is notlimited to the gateway administrator or the network operator. The usermay also-be able to customize the information that is provided in theportal page. The user customization may be accomplished either directlyby the user configuring the portal page manually or indirectly from thegateway device configuring the portal page in response to data found inthe user-specific profile. In the manual embodiment the user may beasked to choose which information or type of information they would likesupplied in the portal page for that specific network session. Forinstance, the user may require an alarm clock counter to insure anappointment is met or the user may require periodical updates of aspecific stock quote. The information that a user customizes for theportal page may be network session specific, may be associated with theduration of a gateway subscription or may be stored in a user profilefor an indefinite period of time. The gateway device's ability tocommunicate with numerous user databases provides the basis for storinguser specific profiles for extended periods of time.

As explained above, the portal page presented to the user can bedependent upon an attribute associated with the user, such as the user'sidentification, the user's location, an address associated with theuser's computer, or a combination thereof. The means in which a user isidentified and access rights are determined is based upon anAuthentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) method implemented bythe AAA server.

One function of the AAA server is to identify the user in communicationwith the gateway device in a manner that is transparent to the user.That is, the user will not be required to reconfigure the computer orotherwise change the home network settings, and no additionalconfiguration software will have to be added to the computer. Accordingto one embodiment of the present invention, after a user is directed toa portal page, the AAA server can be accessed to authorize andauthenticate the user. Therefore, upon accessing the network, the usermay be forwarded to a generic portal page, and after the user may beauthenticated, the user can be forwarded via HPR and SAT to aspecialized portal page, as described above.

After receiving a request for access from a user, forwarding the user toa portal page, and identifying the user or location the AAA server thendetermines the access rights of the particular user. In addition tostoring whether users have valid access rights, the user profiledatabase can also include specialized access information particular to aspecific location or user, such as the bandwidth of the user's access,or a portal page to which a user should be directed. For example, a useraccessing the network from a penthouse may receive a higher access bandrate than someone accessing the destination network from a typical hotelroom. Additionally, a user profile can include historical data relatingto a user's access to the network, including the amount of time a userhas accessed the network. Such historical information can be used todetermine any fees which may be charged to the user, or due from theuser, for access. Specialized access information contained within theuser profile may be established by the system administrator, or by theuser who has purchased or otherwise established access to the network.For example, where a user is transparently accessing the gateway devicefrom a hotel room, the hotel network administrator may enter user accessinformation into the profile database based upon access rightsassociated with a room in the hotel. This can also be done automaticallyby the gateway device or a local management system, such as a hotelproperty management system, when the user checks into his or her room.

Assuming that a user does not have a subscription for access to thenetwork, a login page enables new users to subscribe to the computernetwork so that they may subsequently obtain access to networks oronline services transparently through the gateway device. The user maytake steps to become authenticated so that the user's information may berecorded in the user profile database and the user is deemed valid. Forexample, a user may have to enter into a purchase agreement, requiringthe user to enter a credit card number. If the user needs to purchaseaccess, or if the system needs additional information about the user,the user is redirected from the portal page via HPR and SAT to alocation, such as a login page, established to validate new users. SATand HPR can intervene to direct the user to a webserver (external orinternal) where the user has to login and identify themselves.Location-based information and authorization, as described in detail inU.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/161,093, incorporated elsewhereherein, can be sent to the portal page as part of this redirectionprocess. This enables the portal page to be customized to includecustomized information, such as locale restaurant ads or trainschedules.

Assuming that a user has not been authorized access to the network basedupon location based identification or user input identification, theuser must provide the gateway device with sufficient information tobecome authorized access. Where the user is not authorized access theuser is forwarded via HPR and SAT from the portal page to a login page.The login page enables new users to subscribe to the computer network sothat they may subsequently obtain access to networks or online servicestransparently through the gateway device. To direct the users to a loginpage the AAA server calls upon the HPR function. The HPR directs theuser to the login page, and after the user has entered requisiteinformation into the login page, the AAA server adds the new informationto the customer profile database and can direct the user to the user'sdesired destination, such as an Internet address or can return the userto a portal page, depending upon the design of the system. Thus, newusers can gain access to networks or online services without beingpredefined in the user profile database.

After receiving the user's login information, the AAA server will createa user profile utilizing this information so that the user will be ableto obtain immediate access to the network next time the user logs inwithout being required to enter login information again. The AAA servercan create a profile for the user in a locally stored user profiledatabase, or can update the user profile in a database external to thegateway device. Regardless of the location of the user profile, the nexttime the user attempts to login the user's profile will be located inthe user profile database, the user's access rights determined, and theuser allowed transparent access to networks or services.

Dynamic Bandwidth Management on a Per Subscriber Basis in a ComputerNetwork

A gateway device includes a bandwidth manager which enables theuser/subscriber to initially set a maximum bandwidth service level at aparticular billing rate and dynamically reset the maximum bandwidth witha corresponding change in the billing structure. The user/subscriber canindependently set and reset the uplink and downlink bandwidths of theirnetwork access service. Thus, the user/subscriber can efficiently managetheir network access according to the specific activity on the network.

In addition, the bandwidth manager provides active management of thedelivery of data (also known as and referred to herein as trafficshaping) to increase throughput from the gateway device onto the networkthrough a wide area network (WAN) link.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment,the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, thisconfiguration process establishes the protocol and other parameters bywhich the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, aplurality of computers is networked to create a local area network(LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured inorder to exchange data over the network. Since most networks arecustomized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are partof different networks are generally configured in different manners inorder to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.

While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network fora substantial period of time, laptops or other portable computers arespecifically designed to be transportable. As such, portable computersare connected to different networks at different times depending uponthe location of the computer. In a common example in which the portablecomputer serves as an employee's desktop computer, the portable computeris configured to communicate with their employer's network, i.e., theenterprise network. When the employee travels, however, the portablecomputer may be connected to different networks that communicate indifferent manners. In this regard, the employee may connect the portablecomputer to the network maintained by an airport or by a hotel in orderto access the enterprise network, the internet or some other on-lineservice. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also he reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user each time that the portablecomputer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, thisrepeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite timeconsuming, but is also prone to errors.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, a universal subscriber gateway devicehas been developed by Nomadix, Incorporated of Santa Monica, Calif. Thecontents of both of these applications are incorporated herein byreference. The gateway device serves as an interface connecting theuser/subscriber to a number of networks or other online services. Forexample, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, theenterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. Inaddition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automaticallyconfigures a computer to communicate with the new network in a mannerthat is transparent to the user/subscriber. In this regard, the gatewaydevice will download the necessary protocols and other configurationparameters to the computer without any intervention by theuser/subscriber and without loading any additional software on theuser/subscriber's computer. Once the gateway device has appropriatelyconfigured the user/subscriber's computer, the computer canappropriately communicate via the new network, such as the network at ahotel or at an airport, in order to access other networks, such as theenterprise network, or other online services, such as the internet.

The computer user/subscriber, and more specifically the remote or laptopuser, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computer networkswithout having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-often dauntingtask of reconfiguring their host in accordance with network specificconfigurations. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable ofproviding more efficient network access to the user/subscriber. Agateway device is also instrumental in providing the user/subscriberbroadband network access that can be tailored to the user/subscriber'sneeds. In many instances the remote user/subscriber is concerned withbeing able to acquire network access and levels of service in the mostcost-effective manner. Correspondingly, the gateway device administratordesires the capability to be able to offer the user/subscriber numerousdifferent services and billing rate options. By way of example, theremote user/subscriber in a hotel environment may desire a networksubscription for the duration of their hotel stay while theuser/subscriber in an airport may desire a network subscription for theduration of their layover or until their scheduled flight departs.Additionally, a user/subscriber may desire a certain level of servicebased on bandwidth concerns and the need for higher or lower data ratetransfers. For example, the user/subscriber who is accessing a networkfor the purpose of viewing text may desire a lower bandwidth servicelevel that meets their particular needs, however, anotheruser/subscriber who is accessing a network for the purpose ofdownloading files or media-rich content may desire a higher bandwidthservice level capable of transferring data at relatively higher speeds.

In today's fast paced computing and networking environment it is evenmore advantageous to provide these service and billing optionsdynamically, allowing the user/subscriber to change, for example,billing rates or bandwidth capacity while a network session is on going.This would allow the user/subscriber to be billed at one rate whiledownloading the data-intensive file or media-rich content while choosinga more cost-effective billing structure for the less data-intensiveactivities, such as electronic mail (e-mail). As yet another example,the user/subscriber may be sending and/or receiving data-intensivecontent which requires a certain minimum transfer rate in order to beeffectively communicated at the receiving end, such as voiceover IF orvideo. In such cases, the user/subscriber may desire some guarantee ofdelivery of the data-intensive content at a relatively higher cost.

Additionally, the dynamic nature of this process would allow theuser/subscriber to change service levels or billing rates without theneed to exit the network and initiate a new log-on procedure. In effect,the user/subscriber benefits from having a more efficient and lesstime-consuming means of altering service levels and billing structure.

However, in current network implementations, bandwidth management istypically performed statically, at the time a new subscriber account isestablished. The new subscriber typically selects a service level andbilling structure defining a particular transmission rate (i.e.,bandwidth) when establishing the account, and is not afforded the optionof changing their service level or billing structure dynamically. In acommon example, the service provider configures the network to providethe new subscriber with the subscriber selected bandwidth service level,which typically involves service provider configuring hardware devicesunder the control of the service provider, such as a modem or accesscontroller. The user/subscriber is not allowed to dynamically change thebandwidth, but must contact the service provider and request a change intheir configuration to allow a higher or lower transmission rate. Inresponse to such a request, the service provider typically assigns atechnician to manually implement the reconfiguration of the hardwaredevice(s) and/or other devices or records. In some instances, thesubscriber also may be required to reconfigure their computer toaccommodate the changes in the bandwidth service level.

Therefore, an unsatisfied need exists in the industry for dynamicmanagement of network access bandwidth, particularly when purchasingnetwork access for a relatively short time, such as in an airport orhotel.

Summary

The present invention comprises a gateway device including a bandwidthmanager which enables the user/subscriber to initially set a maximumbandwidth service level at a particular billing rate and dynamicallyreset the maximum bandwidth with a corresponding change in the billingstructure. The user/subscriber can independently set and reset theuplink and downlink bandwidths of their network access service. Thus,the user/subscriber can efficiently manage their network accessaccording to the specific activity on the network.

For example, a user/subscriber can select a relatively high maximumbandwidth for the downlink connection when accessing data-intensivecontent over the network, or a relatively low bandwidth for the downlinkconnection when accessing less data-intensive content over the network.The change in bandwidth service level is automatically madesubstantially instantaneously, and the user/subscriber begins receivingservice at the new bandwidth and new billing rate. Likewise, theuser/subscriber can increase or decrease the bandwidth of the uplinkconnection so the user/subscriber only purchases the amount of bandwidthappropriate for their network activity.

In addition, the bandwidth manager provides active management of thedelivery of data (also known as and referred to herein as trafficshaping) to increase throughput from the gateway device onto the networkthrough a wide area network (WAN) link.

This balances the load on the WAN link, thereby preventing droppedpackets or longer delays. One technique in accordance with the presentinvention is by weighted fare queuing, which limits the traffic on theWAN link to what the WAN link can legitimately handle without overload.Lastly, the user/subscriber can purchase a service level that reserve aminimum percentage of the available bandwidth through the gateway device(symmetrically or asymmetrically) by paying additional service fees suchthat at least a portion of the available bandwidth is allocated to aparticular subscriber, or to a particular type of data beingsent/received by the user/subscriber. For instance, a user/subscribermay request higher prioritization for video data than for textual datacoming in from the network to the user/subscriber, and the bandwidthmanager would prioritize the delivery of the packets to theuser/subscriber accordingly.

Description

For purposes of clarity, it is noted that that the maximum bandwidthrequested when establishing a network access service represent merely amaximum transfer rate, not necessary the actual transfer rate obtainedby the user/subscriber. In fact, the user/subscriber will often findthat their transfer rate is well below that of their selected maximumrate due to network delays and congestion. Yet at other times, when thenetwork resources are underused, the user/subscriber may obtain atransmission rate close to or at their selected maximum transfer rate.

Referring now to FIG. 16, the computer system 10 that includes a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer systemtypically includes a plurality of user/subscriber computers 14 thataccess the computer network in order to gain access to other networks orother online services. For example, the computers can be plugged intoports that are located in different rooms of a hotel, a multi-dwellingresidence or an office building. Alternatively, the computers can beplugged into ports in an airport, an arena, or the like. The computersystem also includes a gateway device in accordance with the presentinvention that provides an interface between the plurality of computersand the various networks or other online services. Most commonly, thegateway device is located near the computers at a relatively lowposition in the structure of the overall network (i.e., the gateway willbe located within the hotel, multi-unit residence, airport, etc.).However, the gateway device can be located at a higher position in theoverall network structure such as at a Point of Presence (PoP) ofNetwork Operating Center (NOC), if so desired. Although the gatewaydevice can be physically embodied in many different fashions, thegateway device typically includes a controller and a memory device inwhich software is stored that defines the operational characteristics ofthe gateway device. Alternatively, the gateway device can be embeddedwithin another network device, such as the access controller or arouter, or the software that defines the functioning of the gatewaydevice can be stored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into thecomputer in order to automatically reconfigure the computer tocommunicate with a different computer system.

The computer system 10 also typically includes an access controller 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers are connected to the access controller, the access controllercan be configured in different manners. For example, the accesscontroller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) forsignals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable headend forsignals transmitted via coaxial/optical fiber cables, a wireless accesspoint (WAP) for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a CMPS, aswitch or the like. As also shown in FIG. 16, the computer systemtypically includes one or more routers 18 and/or servers (not shown inFIG. 16) of a plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services22. While the computer system is depicted to have a single router, thecomputer system can have a plurality of routers, switches, bridges, orthe like that are arranged in some hierarchical fashion in order toappropriately route traffic to and from the various networks or otheronline services. In this regard, the gateway device typicallyestablishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, in turn,establish links with the servers of other networks or other onlineservice providers, such as internet service providers, based upon thesubscriber's selection.

The gateway device 12 is specifically designed to configure computers 14that log onto the computer network 10 in a manner that is transparent tothe subscriber. In the typical computer network that employs dynamichost configuration protocol (DHCP) service, the DHCP server 24 willinitially assign an IP address to a computer that is logging onto thecomputer network through communication with the gateway device. Whileillustrated as a separate device from the gateway device 12, the DHCPserver 24 may be incorporated into the physical embodiment housing thegateway device. Upon opening their web browser or otherwise attemptingto access an on-line service, the gateway device will direct thesubscriber to enter their ID and password. The gateway device thendetermines if the subscriber is entitled to access the computer system,the level of access and/or the type of services to which the subscriberis entitled according to an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting(AAA) procedure that is described by U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/816,174 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/111,497. An AAAserver, which is a database of subscriber records, may be remote to thegateway device or the Mi\ database may be incorporated into the physicalembodiment housing the gateway device. Assuming that the subscriber hasbeen authenticated and has authorization, the gateway device typicallypresents new subscribers with a home page or control panel thatidentifies, among other things, the online services or other computernetworks that are accessible via the gateway device. In addition, thehome page presented by the gateway device can provide informationregarding the current parameters or settings that will govern the accessprovided to the particular subscriber. As such, the gatewayadministrator can readily alter the parameters or other settings inorder to tailor the service according to their particular application.Typically, changes in the parameters or other settings that willpotentially utilize additional resources of the computer system willcome at a cost, such that the gateway administrator will charge thesubscriber a higher rate for their service. For example, a subscribermay elect to increase the transfer rate (i.e., bytes per second, alsoreferred to as bandwidth) at which signals are transmitted across thecomputer network and pay a correspondingly higher price for theexpedited service.

The home page also permits the subscriber to select the computer network20 or other online service 22 that the subscriber wishes to access. Forexample, the subscriber can access the enterprise network on which thecomputer is typically resident. Alternatively, the subscriber can accessthe internet or other on-line services. Once the subscriber elects toaccess a computer network or other online service, the gateway deviceestablishes an appropriate links via one or more routers 18 to thedesired computer network or online service.

Thereafter, the subscriber can communicate freely with the desiredcomputer network 20 or other online service 22. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 12 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to the user/subscriber. In thisregard, for outbound traffic from the computer 12 to the computernetwork or other on-line service, the gateway device changes attributeswithin the packet coming from the user/subscriber, such as the sourceaddress, checksum, and application specific parameters, to meet thecriteria of the network to which the user/subscriber has accessed. Inaddition, the outgoing packet includes an attribute that will direct allincoming packets from the accessed network to be routed through thegateway device. In contrast, the inbound traffic from the computernetwork or other online service that is routed through the gatewaydevice, undergoes a translation function at the gateway device so thatthe packets are properly formatted for the user/subscriber's hostcomputer. In this manner, the packet translation process that takesplace at the gateway device is transparent to the host, which appears tosend and receive data directly from the accessed computer network.Additional information regarding the translation function is provided byU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,714. By implementing the gatewaydevice as an interface between the user/subscriber and the computernetwork or other online service, however, the user/subscriber willeliminate the need to re-configure their computer 12 upon accessingsubsequent networks.

In accordance with the present invention, the gateway device 12 includesa bandwidth manager which enables the user/subscribers at respectivecomputers 14 to dynamically set and reset the bandwidth of their networkaccess connection. The bandwidth manager can substantiallyinstantaneously adjust the maximum bandwidth available to theuser/subscriber without requiring the reconfiguration or reprogrammingof a hardware device(s) such as a network modem or access controller, orthe restart of an access session at the gateway device. In addition, thebandwidth manager further enables the user/subscriber to independentlyset the upstream (uplink to the network) and downstream (downlink fromthe network) maximum bandwidth. Accordingly, the user/subscriber canestablish asymmetric bandwidths for upstream and downstreamcommunications, which may be particularly useful if theuser/subscriber's network activity involves a disproportionate amount ofdata being transferred in one direction (upstream or downstream).Depending on the bandwidth service level chosen by the user/subscriber,the user/subscriber is charged an appropriate service fee. This way, theuser/subscriber does not pay for bandwidth that they are not using, andonly has to pay for additional bandwidth when requested. In a preferredembodiment, the user/subscriber manages their bandwidth service levelvia pop-up control panels as disclosed and described in detail in U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/161,139, entitled “Pop-Up Control PanelAdministered by a Network Gateway Device,” incorporated elsewhereherein.

With reference to FIGS. 17A-B, a block diagram of an embodiment of thegateway device 12′ in accordance with the present invention isillustrated. Of particular interest with regard to the present inventionis the bandwidth management module 30 (also referred to herein as thebandwidth manager). The bandwidth manager 30 is implemented as acomponent of the protocol stack of the gateway device 12′, as discussedin greater detail below with reference to FIG. 18. The bandwidth manager30 processes the data packets (or datagram) passing through the gatewaydevice 12′ from the user/subscriber to the network and from the networkto the user/subscriber. The bandwidth manager 30 comprises a subscriberselectable bandwidth mechanism 32 and a traffic shaping mechanism 34.

The subscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32 limits the upstream anddownstream bandwidths on each virtual channel through the gateway device12′ to that which the respective user/subscribers selected. For eachpacket processed by the bandwidth manager, the subscriber selectablebandwidth mechanism 32 identifies the associated user/subscriber by themedia access control (MAC) address within the packet. The subscriberselectable bandwidth mechanism 32 retrieves the authorization file 35associated with that MAC address from a flash file system 36. Theauthorization file includes the user/subscriber profile, including theuser/subscriber selected maximum bandwidth for uplink and downlink datatransfer. The subscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32 thendetermines whether or not to reschedule the delivery of that packet at alater point in time in order to prevent the user/subscriber fromachieving a bandwidth greater than that which the user/subscriberselected.

The subscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32 calculates theappropriate delay, if any, using the size (in bytes) of the currentpacket, and the size and relative time the last packet was delivered forthe subscriber. For example, if the user/subscriber has paid for adownlink bandwidth of 100 kilobytes per second (kbps), and the gatewaydevice 12′ just delivered 50 kilobytes one-half a seconds ago, then apacket of up to 50 kilobytes would not be delayed, but a packet over 50kilobytes would be delayed. The length of the delay would depend on thesize of the packet. For example, following the 50 kilobyte packetdelivered one-half seconds ago, a next packet of 150 kilobytes would bedelayed 1.5 seconds (resulting in 200 kilobytes in two seconds=100kbps), whereas a next packet of 80 kilobytes would be delayed 0.8seconds (resulting in 130 kilobytes in 1.3 seconds=100 kbps).

If it is determined that the packet should be delayed, then thesubscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32 places the packet in avirtual queues for later delivery. In a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, the virtual queue is implemented by a ring bufferhaving 120 time slots (also referred to as ticks), each slot being1/60th of a second. Thus, the ring buffer can delay delivery of a packetup to two seconds. If the delay is to be more than two seconds, then thepacket will be dropped. Accordingly, the packet is place in theappropriate timeslot so that the ultimate delivery of a packet will notproduce a bandwidth greater than that selected and paid for by theuser/subscriber. When the ring buffer pointer is pointing to thetimeslot where the packet resides, the packet is transmitted out to thenetwork or out to the user/subscriber, whichever the case may be. Eachtimeslot of the ring buffer is a link list of packets having a temporaryrelationship to the other timeslots according to the granularity of aring buffer. While the ring buffer may have more than 120 timeslots inorder to achieve greater accuracy, increasing the granularity producesincreased overhead in a system.

If the user/subscriber wishes to dynamically change either theirdownlink or uplink bandwidths, such as via a pop-up control panel asdiscussed hereinbefore, then the new bandwidth(s) is substantiallyinstantaneously recorded in the user/subscriber's authorization file.When the next packet having the MAC address of the user/subscriber isprocessed by the subscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32, the newbandwidth is retrieved from the authorization file and utilized by thesubscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32 to determine if delivery ofthe packet should be delayed. Thus, the user/subscriber can dynamicallychange their bandwidth during an access session without requiring areconfiguration of a component in the network. This allows theuser/subscriber to cost effectively manage their network access service.It is note that the subscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32 doesnot guarantee a minimum bandwidth, but operates to limit the maximumbandwidth available to a user/subscriber according to the upstream anddownstream bandwidths selected and paid for by the user/subscriber. Infact, the subscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32 may operate tomake the user/subscriber's network access slower than it actually is asit queues packets associated with the user/subscriber.

The traffic shaping mechanism 34 of the bandwidth manager 30 functionsto limit the number of packets transmitted on the link connecting thegateway device 12′ to the networks. In the embodiment illustratedherein, that link is a wide area network (WAN) link 38. In particular,the WAN link 38 is a communications link of finite bandwidth capable ofonly transmitting a certain number of packets over a given period oftime. Accordingly, in order to make most efficient the operation of theWAN link 38, it is desirable to limit the packets being transmitted overthe WAN link 36 to that which the WAN link can handle without droppingpackets. Accordingly, the traffic shaping mechanism 34 provides avirtual queue that operates in essentially the same as the virtualqueues of the subscriber selectable bandwidth mechanism 32, with theresult of preventing the WAN link 36 from becoming overloading. Byqueuing the packets for a short period of time before transmitting themwhen the WAN link 36 reaches its bandwidth capacity, the overallefficiency of the data transfers over the WAN link 36 improves becausethe packets are not dropped, therefore, do not need to be retransmitted.The traffic shaping mechanism 34 monitors the traffic over the WAN link36, and when it appears to be close (slightly above or slightly below)to the bandwidth capacity of the link, then the traffic shapingmechanism 34 begins queuing the packets for short periods of time withthe expectation that the packet volume will at some point drop so thatthe packet will not need to be queued for the time being. Thereby, thelikelihood, or at least the number, of packets being dropped isminimized.

Another aspect of traffic management performed by the traffic shapingmechanism 34 is the prioritization of services provided to theusers/subscribers. For example, in a preferred embodiment, eachuser/subscriber pays for a class of service which has associated with ita maximum bandwidth. Currently, those users/subscribers which request arelatively large bandwidth compared to another user/subscriber will haveits packets given priority over the packets of the other user/subscriberat the point of being transmitted over the WAN link 36. This is achievedby queuing the packets of the other user/subscribers and not those withpriority. This prioritization of the packets of one user/subscriber overthat of another user/subscriber can be extended to numerous otherimplementations. For example, a user/subscriber may purchase a class ofservice which places a higher prioritization over a particular type ofcontent, for instance, video data, audio data, etc. In such cases, thetraffic shaping mechanism 34 looks into each packet to determine theuser/subscriber associated with that packet based upon the MAC address,and by looking at the packet header and IP header to determined thecontent of the packet. Specifically, the packets including a protocolutilized to transmit audio content, for example, voiceover IP, may begiven priority by the traffic shaping mechanism 34 if the associateduser/subscriber paid for such a class of service. Otherprotocols/parameters on which priority can be based include SMTP, EDP,TCP, a specific IP address, etc. As before, such prioritization can beachieved by queuing packets on a per subscriber basis which do notinclude the content assigned priority.

Yet another example of the prioritization that can be performed by thetraffic shaping mechanism 34 in accordance with the present invention isthe reservation of a percentage or block of the available bandwidth fora particular user/subscriber. For example, by monitoring the throughputof the gateway device 12, the traffic shaping mechanism 34 canprioritize the packets of a specific user/subscriber that is paying fora specified percentage of the available bandwidth so that the packets ofthat user are transmitted at the appropriate rate so as to utilize thepercentage of available bandwidth. These and other prioritizationschemes for traffic shaping are often referred to in the industry asweighted fare queuing.

With reference to FIG. 18, an exemplary protocol stack 50 in accordancewith an embodiment of the present inventions illustrated, wherein theoperation of the bandwidth manager 30 in processing packets is provided.It is noted however, that the protocol stack 50 is not intended to becomplete but merely illustrated, and it is noted that particular layersand/or steps may be omitted for purposes or brevity. Generally, theprotocol stack 50 comprises an application layer 52, a TCP/IP layer 54,drivers layer 56, and a multiplexer (MUX) layer 58. Between the TCP/IPlayer 54 and the drivers layer 56, packets are processed in accordancewith an embodiment of the bandwidth manager of the present invention.The interlayer processing performed between the TCP/IP layer 54 and thedrivers layer 56 may be implemented by programming hooks, each of whichis designated by a block and described hereafter.

Beginning with packets being received on the subscriber's side from theuser/subscriber, a hook 60 is performed by the AAA module of the gatewaydevice 12′, wherein the packet is authenticated based upon the uniqueMAC address of the user/subscriber as stored in the authorization file.If the packet cannot be authenticated, then the packet is redirected toan internal AAA web server requiring the user/subscriber to login to thesystem. Next, at hook 62, a DHCP module of the gateway device 12′determines if the packet includes a request for an IP address. If so,then IP addresses from internal servers are passed to the outboundchannel to the subscriber, whereas IP addresses from an external serverare passed to the outbound channel to network. If an IP request is notlocated, then the packet is passed on to hook 64 where the SAT moduleredirects the packet to an internal AAA server if instructed to so bythe AAA module at hook 60. Otherwise, the packet is passed on to hook 66where the dynamic address translation (DAT) module performs theappropriate address translation and delivers the packet to the outboundchannel to the network.

The packets being directed out to the subscriber are processed at hook66 by the bandwidth manager in accordance with the present invention. Inparticular, the bandwidth manager retrieves the authorization file ofthe user/subscriber to which the packet is directed using the MACaddress within the packet. Based on the bandwidth manager's historicalknowledge of the size and time at which the last packet was delivered tothe subscriber, the size of the current packet, and the maximumbandwidth purchased by the subscriber, the bandwidth manager makes thedetermination whether to send the packet to the next hook or totemporarily queue the packet to limit the bandwidth perceived by theuser/subscriber. If it is determined that the packet should be delayed,the bandwidth manager reschedules the transmission of the packet at anappropriate time, up to the maximum delay of the ring buffer, which istwo seconds in the preferred embodiment. If the required delay isgreater than two seconds, then the packet is dropped and must beretransmitted by the sender. Once the packet has been flushed from thering buffer, it is delivered to a hook 68 where it is processed by theAAA module. The AAA module may perform numerous functions at a hook 68,such as counting the total number of bytes, the total session time, etc.for the current session of each user/subscriber. The packet is thendelivered from hook 68 to the drivers layer 56 where it is ultimatelyplaced on the network for delivery to the intended user/subscriber.

On the inbound channel from the network, packets are processed at hook70 by the DHCP module. The DHCP module processes the IP addresses asdiscussed herein before. The packets are subsequently processed by hook72 by the DAT module, which sending the packets to a particularsubscriber as addressed.

On the outbound channel to the network, packets are processed at hook 74by the SAT module, which intercepts those packets from the internal AAAserver which need to be redirected to a user/subscriber, and placesthose packets on the subscriber outbound channel. Next, at hook 76, thebandwidth manager performs similar limiting functions as describedhereinbefore with reference to hook 66. In particular, on the networkoutbound channel, the bandwidth manager limits the uplink transmissionrate as perceived by the user/subscriber. The limiting functionsperformed at hook 76 are substantially the same as those performed athook 66, wherein the packets that are to be delayed in order to limitthe bandwidth of a particular user/subscriber are queued for acalculated period of time before transmission out on to the network. Inaddition, the hook 76 performs the additional function of trafficshaping as described hereinbefore. In particular, the bandwidth managerperforms additional monitoring of the packets being sent out over thenetwork and knowing the capacity of the communications link to thenetwork, prioritizes the various packets to provide appropriatebandwidths for the class of services of the respectiveusers/subscribers.

With reference to FIG. 19A, a flow diagram of a method in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention for bandwidth management isillustrated. At block 90, a subscriber establishes an authorizationaccount for accessing a computer network through a gateway device inaccordance with the present invention, wherein the authorization accountincludes a maximum bandwidth value, preferably for the uplink anddownlink connections, and an authorization code, such as a user name andpassword. At block 92, the subscriber logs into the gateway and isauthorized based on the subscriber's authorization code. Thisestablishes network access for the subscriber through the gatewaydevice. Next, at block 94, the gateway device performs bandwidthmanagement on packets passing through the gateway device to limit eachsubscriber's bandwidth to that which they selected and paid for, and toperform traffic shaping functions, as described in greater detail withthe reference to FIG. 19B.

In FIG. 19B, the operation of an embodiment of the bandwidth manager onthe packets being delivered upstream to the network is provided. Inparticular, at block 94, a new packet is received for processing. Atblock 96, the packet is processed by extracting the MAC address from thepacket and retrieving the authorization file associated therewith,preferably from a hash table. Based on the maximum bandwidth chosen bythe subscriber as determined from the authorization file, and thebandwidth manager's knowledge of the size of the current packet, thesize and time of the previous packet of the subscriber which wasprocessed by the bandwidth manager, it is determined if the packet needsto be queued for a period of time to ensure that the subscriber does notreceive a bandwidth greater than that which the subscriber chose andpaid for, as determined at decision block 98. If the packet should bedelayed, then at block 102, the appropriate delay is calculated and thepacket is placed in the appropriate timeslot of a ring buffer. When thepointer of the ring buffer addresses the timeslot in which the packetresides, then the packet is further processed by the traffic shapingmechanism of the bandwidth manager. In particular, at block 104, it isdetermined if the packet needs to be queued for traffic shapingpurposes. If the packet needs to be queued, then it is determined atblock 106 how long the packet should be delayed, and then the packet isplaced in the appropriate timeslot of the ring buffer. When the pointerof the ring buffer addresses the timeslot where the packet resides, thenthe packet is transmitted over the network at block 108.

With reference to FIGS. 20-24, detailed flow diagrams of the operationof an embodiment of the bandwidth manager are provided. In particular,FIG. 20 provides a flowchart of the operation of the bandwidth managerin preparing to send a packet over the network. FIG. 21 is directed tothe operation of the bandwidth manager in preparation for sending apacket to a subscriber. FIG. 22 is directed to the operation of sendinga packet from the ring buffer to the network and/or the subscriber. FIG.23 is directed to the operation of the bandwidth manager and sending apacket from the ring buffer to both the subscriber and the network.Lastly, FIGS. 24A-C are directed to the operation of the bandwidthmanager in scheduling the appropriate delay for a packet that isultimately to be sent to the network or to the subscriber.

Systems and Methods for Dynamically Creating Subscriber Tunnels by aGateway Device in a Computer Network

A gateway device for use in providing a subscriber access to a computersystem is disclosed, and more particularly, a gateway device fordynamically creating and managing subscriber tunnels through thecomputer system (i.e., network), such as the Internet, from the gatewaydevice to an enterprise network, such as a corporate network. Thegateway device determines on a per packet basis whether a tunnel isrequired based upon the packet destination. If a tunnel is required,then the gateway device dynamically creates the tunnel withoutconfiguring the user/subscriber computer.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment,the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, thisconfiguration process establishes the protocol and other parameters bywhich the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, aplurality of computers is networked to create a local area network(LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured inorder to exchange data over the network. Since most networks arecustomized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are partof different networks are generally configured in different manners inorder to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.

While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network fora substantial period of time, laptops or other portable computers arespecifically designed to be transportable. As such, portable computersare connected to different networks at different times depending uponthe location of the computer. In a common example in which the portablecomputer serves as an employee's desktop computer, the portable computeris configured to communicate with their employer's network, i.e., theenterprise network. When the employee travels, however, the portablecomputer may be connected to different networks that communicate indifferent manners. In this regard, the employee may connect the portablecomputer to the network maintained by an airport or by a hotel in orderto access the enterprise network, the internet or some other on-lineservice. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user/subscriber each time that theportable computer is connected to a different network. As will beapparent, this repeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is notonly quite time consuming, but is also prone to errors. Further, theuser/subscriber is often required to have specific software running onthe portable computer in order to communicate with the enterprisenetwork, though such communications may be in conflict with the networkover which the portable computer must transfer data to reach theenterprise network.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, a universal subscriber gateway devicehas been developed by Nomadix, Incorporated of Santa Monica, Calif. Thecontents of both of these applications are incorporated herein byreference. The gateway device serves as an interface connecting theuser/subscriber to a number of networks or other online services. Forexample, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, theenterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. Inaddition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automaticallyconfigures a computer to communicate with the new network in a mannerthat is transparent to the user/subscriber. In this regard, the gatewaydevice will download the necessary protocols and other configurationparameters to the computer without any intervention by theuser/subscriber and without loading any additional software on theuser/subscriber's computer. Once the gateway device has appropriatelyconfigured the user/subscriber's computer, the computer canappropriately communicate via the new network, such as the network at ahotel or at an airport, in order to access other networks, such as theenterprise network, or other online services, such as the internet.

The computer user/subscriber, and more specifically the remote or laptopuser, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computer networkswithout having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-often dauntingtask of reconfiguring their host in accordance with network specificconfigurations. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable ofproviding more efficient network access to the user/subscriber. Agateway device is also instrumental in providing the user/subscriberbroadband network access that can be tailored to the user/subscriber'sneeds. In many instances the remote user/subscriber is concerned withbeing able to acquire network access to their home or enterprisenetwork, which are most typically protected by a firewall. The firewallprevents unauthorized access to the enterprise network through a generalinternet connection, such as through an internet service provider. Whilesome access is possible from outside the firewall, such as inboundelectronic mail, corporate resources such as network databases andapplication programs are generally not made accessible to computerslocated outside the firewall unless the user/subscriber has an activeaccount with a valid username and password combination.

However, as appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, differentnetwork protocols may be used within the Internet infrastructure andwithin an enterprise networks. For example, an Internet Protocol (IP) istypically used at the network protocol level to send data through theInternet. An enterprise network, on the other hand, may use anyone of avariety of network protocols including IP, IPX, Appletalk, etc. When aremote user attempts to access the enterprise network through theInternet, typically through an Internet service provider, the remoteuser is dynamically assigned an IP address. Thus, the remote user may bedenied access by the firewall of the enterprise network because the IPaddress assigned by the Internet service provider is not one of theauthorized addresses in the corporate network. In addition, the remoteuser may be forced by the Internet service provider to use an IPprotocol incompatible with that of the enterprise network. If the IPprotocol and the enterprise network protocol are incompatible, then theremote user may be prevented from accessing resources on the enterprisenetwork.

In response to these and other problems associated with granting remoteaccess to an enterprise network over the internet, several techniqueshave been developed for creating virtual private networks (VPN), whereina remote node of a single network is interconnected using a publiclyaccessible communication medium. For example, there are a number ofsystems that enable user/subscribers to create virtual networks usingthe Internet as a medium for transporting data between the enterprisenetwork and a remote user. These systems often times include encryptionand other security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users canaccess the virtual network, and that the data cannot be intercepted.

The common technique for constructing a VPN is by tunneling. Tunnelingworks by encapsulating or wrapping a packet or a message from onenetwork protocol in the protocol of another. The encapsulated packet istransmitted over the network via the protocol of the wrapper. Thismethod of packet transmission avoids protocol restrictions, and enablesremote users to have seamless access to their enterprise network withoutany apparent effects from accessing their enterprise network overanother network having a different protocol. Several relatively wellknown tunneling protocols include Microsoft's PPTP, Cisco's Layer TwoForwarding (L2F) protocol, and Redback's L2TP which is a hybrid of L2Fand PPTP. While these and other tunneling techniques have some merit, noone single tunneling protocol provides for automated configurationwithout the need for special client-side (i.e., remote computer)software.

Therefore, an unsatisfied need exists in the industry for a systemmethod that dynamically creates subscriber tunnels automatically andwithout special client-side software.

Summary

The present invention comprises a gateway device for use in providing asubscriber access to a computer system, and more particularly, fordynamically creating and managing subscriber tunnels through thecomputer system (i.e., network), such as the Internet, from the gatewaydevice to an enterprise network, such as a corporate network. Thepresent invention does not require special client-side software to beloaded on the remote computer of the subscriber, and does not requireany manual configuration of the remote computer. Instead, the gatewaydevice establishes a tunnel, whereby the gateway device operates as oneend point and the enterprise network operates as the other end point.Rather than configuring and reconfiguring the remote computer each timea tunnel is created, the remote computer provides the gateway devicewith the appropriate profile information necessary to create a tunnel toa particular enterprise network during the setup of the account.Thereafter, the gateway device uses the profile information each time atunnel is created for that user to that enterprise network. In essence,the gateway device takes the place of the remote computer as an endpoint of the tunnel, spoofing the enterprise network. The tunnel iscreated from the gateway device to the enterprise network is such thatthe enterprise network views the gateway device as though it were theremote computer. By allowing the gateway device to operate as the endpoint of the tunnel, the remote computer is not limited to a singletunnel per session, but may have numerous tunnels establishedsimultaneously during a single session. The gateway device determines ona per packet basis whether a tunnel is required based upon the packetdestination. If a tunnel is required, then the gateway device createsthe tunnel and places the packets in the tunnel for delivery to thedestination network.

Description

Referring now to FIG. 16, the computer system 10 that includes a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer systemtypically includes a plurality of user/subscriber computers 14 thataccess the computer network in order to gain access to other networks orother online services. For example, the computers can be plugged intoports that are located in different rooms of a hotel, a multi-dwellingresidence or an office building. Alternatively, the computers can beplugged into ports in an airport, an arena, or the like. The computersystem also includes a gateway device in accordance with the presentinvention that provides an interface between the plurality of computersand the various networks or other online services. Most commonly, thegateway device is located near the computers at a relatively lowposition in the structure of the overall network. (i.e. the gateway willbe located within the hotel, multi-unit residence, airport, etc.)However, the gateway device can be located at a higher position in theoverall network structure such as at a Point of Presence (PoP) ofNetwork Operating Center (NOC), if so desired. Although the gatewaydevice can be physically embodied in many different fashions, thegateway device typically includes a controller and a memory device inwhich software is stored that defines the operational characteristics ofthe gateway device. Alternatively, the gateway device can be embeddedwithin another network device, such as the access controller or arouter, or the software that defines the functioning of the gatewaydevice can be stored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into thecomputer in order to automatically reconfigure the computer tocommunicate with a different computer system.

The computer system 10 also typically includes an access controller 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers are connected to the access controller, the access controllercan be configured in different manners. For example, the accesscontroller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) forsignals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable headend forsignals transmitted via coaxial/optical fiber cables, a wireless accesspoint (WAP) for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a CMPS, aswitch or the like. As also shown in FIG. 16, the computer systemtypically includes one or more routers 18 and/or servers (not shown inFIG. 16) of a plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services22. While the computer system is depicted to have a single router, thecomputer system can have a plurality of routers, switches, bridges, orthe like that are arranged in some hierarchical fashion in order toappropriately route traffic to and from the various networks or otheronline services. In this regard, the gateway device typicallyestablishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, in turn,establish links with the servers of other networks or other onlineservice providers, such as internet service providers, based upon thesubscriber's selection.

The gateway device 12 is specifically designed to configure computers 14that log onto the computer network 10 in a manner that is transparent tothe subscriber. In the typical computer network that employs dynamichost configuration protocol (DHCP) service, the DHCP server 24 willinitially assign an IP address to a computer that is logging onto thecomputer network through communication with the gateway device. Whileillustrated as a separate device from the gateway device 12, the DHCPserver 24 may be incorporated into the physical embodiment housing thegateway device. Upon opening their web browser or otherwise attemptingto access an on-line service, the gateway device will direct thesubscriber to enter their ID and password. The gateway device thendetermines if the subscriber is entitled to access the computer system,the level of access and/or the type of services to which the subscriberis entitled according to an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting(AAA) procedure that is described by U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/816,174 and U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, which areincorporated herein by reference.

An AAA server, which is a database of subscriber records, may be remoteto the gateway device or the AAA database may be incorporated into thephysical embodiment housing the gateway device. Assuming that thesubscriber has been authenticated and has authorization, the gatewaydevice typically presents new subscribers with a home page or controlpanel that identifies, among other things, the online services or othercomputer networks that are accessible via the gateway device. Inaddition, the home page presented by the gateway device can provideinformation regarding the current parameters or settings that willgovern the access provided to the particular subscriber. As such, thegateway administrator can readily alter the parameters or other settingsin order to tailor the service according to their particularapplication. Typically, changes in the parameters or other settings thatwill potentially utilize additional resources of the computer systemwill come at a cost, such that the gateway administrator will charge thesubscriber a higher rate for their service.

The home page also permits the subscriber to select the computer network20 or other online service 22 that the subscriber wishes to access. Forexample, the subscriber can access the enterprise network on which thecomputer is typically resident. Alternatively, the subscriber can accessthe internet or other on-line services. Once the subscriber elects toaccess a computer network or other online service, the gateway deviceestablishes an appropriate links or tunnels to the desired computernetwork or online service, as discussed in detail below.

Thereafter, the subscriber can communicate freely with the desiredcomputer network 20 or other online service 22. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 12 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to the user/subscriber. In thisregard, for outbound traffic from the computer 12 to the computernetwork or other on-line service, the gateway device changes attributeswithin the packet coming from the user/subscriber, such as the sourceaddress, checksum, and application specific parameters, to meet thecriteria of the network to which the user/subscriber has accessed. Inaddition, the outgoing packet includes an attribute that will direct allincoming packets from the accessed network to be routed through thegateway device. In contrast, the inbound traffic from the computernetwork or other online service that is routed through the gatewaydevice, undergoes a translation function at the gateway device so thatthe packets are properly formatted for the user/subscriber's hostcomputer. In this manner, the packet translation process that takesplace at the gateway device is transparent to the host, which appears tosend and receive data directly from the accessed computer network.Additional information regarding the translation function is provided byU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,714. By implementing the gatewaydevice as an interface between the user/subscriber and the computernetwork or other online service, however, the user/subscriber willeliminate the need to re-configure their computer 12 upon accessingsubsequent networks.

A particularly advantageous feature of the gateway device 12 is thedynamic creation and management of tunnels in computer system 10, suchas those illustrated in FIG. 25. The gateway device 12 providesautomatic configuration of tunnels without the need for specializedclient-side software on computer 14′. Further, the gateway device 12enables a single user/subscriber to establish two or more tunnelssimultaneously since the tunnels do not depend upon a particularconfiguration on the user/subscriber computer 14′.

A user/subscriber initially sets up an account with gateway device 12via a web browser interface, wherein the user/subscriber enters variousdata, including that which is necessary for establishing connections tothe networks and/or online services that the user/subscriber wishes togain access. In addition, the user/subscriber enters establishes a username and password for their account. The user/subscriber will berequested to enter authorization information (such as a user name,network access identifier, and password) for each network toestablishment of a tunnel for access to that network. The informationentered by the user/subscriber will be used to create a profile whichwill be stored in the authorization file in the AAA module 30 of thegateway device 12. The user/subscriber will be provided with thecapability to add, delete and/or modify his or her profile, includingthe information for establishing tunnels. While the AAA module 30 isillustrated as an integral component of the gateway device 12, it isnoted that the AAA module 30 may be disposed in a remote location,central to and accessible by a plurality of gateway devices, such as aregional or national chain of hotels.

At the beginning of a new network access session by the user/subscriber,the user/subscriber logs onto the gateway device 12 by entering his orher account user name and password. The user/subscriber can then selectaccess to one or more of the networks and/or online services availablethrough gateway device 12. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 25, theuser/subscriber of computer 14′ has simultaneously established access tothree separate networks, two of which are being accessed throughseparate tunnels. A first tunnel 32 provides access to network 20′. Thetunnel 32 was established when the user/subscriber requested access toenterprise network 20′, typically from a web browser interface, whichcaused a setup notification packet to be sent from the user/subscribercomputer 14′ to the gateway device 12. The gateway device 12 identifiesthe packet as originating from the user/subscriber by cross-referencingthe MAC address of the packet with the authorization files in the AAAmodule 30. By referencing the IP address in the packet with the profileof the user/subscriber (where the user/subscriber provided a list ofnetworks for access via a tunnel), the gateway device 12 can determineif a tunnel is needed to provide the user/subscriber with access to theenterprise network 20′. If a tunnel is not needed, then theuser/subscriber is provided with standard network access. However, if atunnel is needed, the tunnel management module 44 of the gateway device12 determines if a tunnel to the enterprise network 20′ has already beenestablished, and if so, places the packet in the existing tunnel. If atunnel does not exist, then the tunnel management module 44 establishesa tunnel utilizing the profile information provided by theuser/subscriber during account creation and/or subsequent modification.If the user/subscriber did not provide all the necessary informationbecause, for example, concern over security of the information, theuser/subscriber is presented with pop-up control panel requesting themissing information.

The tunnel management module 44 contacts the enterprise network 20′ inorder to establish access to the enterprise network 20′, typicallythrough a firewall 34 or other secure access server. Using theauthorization information provided when the user/subscriber initiallyset up his or her account (e.g., such as a user name, network accessidentifier, and password), the gateway device 12 is given access toenterprise network 20′, assuming the enterprise network 20′authenticates and accepts the connection. The resulting tunnelestablished by the tunnel management module 44 is between the gatewaydevice 12 and the enterprise network 20′ and may be implemented by anysuitable tunneling protocol supported by the enterprise network 20′,such as L2TP, PPPTP or PPPoE. From the server-side perspective of theenterprise network 20′, the fact that the tunnel terminates at thegateway device 12 rather than at the user/subscriber computer 14′ isundetectable. The gateway device 12 essentially spoofs the enterprisenetwork 20′ to believing that the tunnel extends all the way to an endpoint at the user/subscriber computer 14′. However, since the end pointis at the gateway device 12 rather than the user/subscriber computer14′, multiple tunnels can be established simultaneously during a singlesession because the tunnels are not dependent upon the configuration ofspecific software at the user/subscriber computer 14′. In addition, thetunnel management module 44 of the gateway device 12 is able todynamically create a tunnel on behalf of a user/subscriber utilizing thenetwork log-on information provided by the user/subscriber. The sessionmanagement module 42 manages the access sessions provided by the gatewaydevice, recording information about the sessions as desired.

As illustrated in FIG. 25, a second tunnel 36 is established on behalfof the user/subscriber for providing access to the enterprise network20″ through firewall 38. The tunnel 36 can be established insubstantially the same manner as described above with regard to tunnel32. In addition, the user/subscriber may be given access to othernetworks and/or online services such as the worldwide web portion of theInternet 40.

As previously mentioned, the user/subscriber computer 14′ does notrequire any specific client-side software for accessing the enterprisenetworks 20, 20″, but only requires a suitable communication protocolfor communicating with the gateway device 12, such as TCP/IP. Onceestablished, the tunnels 32, 36 can receive packets in virtually anyprotocol and encapsulate them with the tunneling protocol utilized forthe respective tunnels. The tunnels can be terminated by an expresscommand of the enterprise network 20′, 20″ or the user/subscribercomputer 14′. Alternatively, the tunnels may timeout if they are notutilized within a certain predetermined period of time.

With reference to FIG. 26, a flowchart diagram of a methodology oftunnel management in accordance with the environment of the presentinvention is illustrated. At block 50, the gateway device receives anetwork access request from a user/subscriber. The user/subscriber isthen authorized for network access utilizing the MAC address to look upthe user/subscriber's profile in the AAA module, as indicated by block52. A packet is then received form the user/subscriber, as indicated byblock 54. It is then determined at block 56 if the destination IPaddress of the packet is associated with an enterprise network whichrequires a tunnel for access. If the destination IP address does notrequire a tunnel for access, then the user/subscriber is provided withstandard network access, as indicated by block 58. If the destination IPaddress does require a tunnel, then it is determined at block 60 if atunnel has already been established. If a tunnel has been established,then the packet is encapsulated using the tunnel protocol appropriatefor that enterprise network, and then the encapsulated packet is placedin the tunnel for delivery to the enterprise network, as indicated byblock 62. If it is determined at block 60 that a tunnel has not yet beenestablished, then it is determined at block 64 if additional subscriberdata is necessary to log into the enterprise network for establishing atunnel between the enterprise network and the gateway device. Ifadditional subscriber data is necessary, then a pop-up control panel isdisplayed to the user/subscriber for requesting the needed additionaldata from the user/subscriber, as indicated by block 66. If noadditional data is needed or has already been obtained, then a tunnel iscreated with the enterprise network using the subscriber's networkaccess identifier, user name and password so as to create a tunnel withthe gateway device as one end point and the enterprise network as theother end point as indicated by block 68. Upon receipt of a terminationcommand or the lapse of a period of non-use (i.e., timeout), the tunnelis terminated, as indicated block 70.

With reference to FIG. 27, a suitable configuration for an L2TPcomponent for implementation by the gateway device 12 is illustrated.FIG. 28 illustrates a suitable configuration for a PPTP client componentfor implementation in the gateway device. Lastly, FIG. 29 illustrates asuitable configuration for a PPPoE component for implementation by thegateway device.

Pop-Up Control Panel for Use with a Network Gateway Device

A pop-up control panel is provided that is administered through anetwork gateway device. The gateway device is capable of transparentlyconnecting the user/subscriber to multiple networks without the need toreconfigure the user's host computer. The pop-up control panel allowsthe gateway administrator to provide information to the user/subscriber.The types of information provided for in the pop-up control panel areinfinite in scope. The pop-up control panel may include informationrelating to marketing, advertising, services offered and network sessionparameters and the like. In one embodiment the information provided forin the pop-up control panel may comprise network session specific data.The user/subscriber can then act on the data provided to dynamicallychange the features of a current network session. In one embodiment ofthe invention the pop-up control panel may include attribute fieldsincluding: identifying the network session(s) currently in-use,identifying the duration of network sessions currently in-use,identifying the bandwidth currently available for a specific networksession and identifying the current amount of bytes received and/or sentfor a specific network session. The gateway administrator will have thecapability to dynamically change the information supplied in the pop-upcontrol panel based on many factors, including the location of theuser/subscriber, the profile of the user subscriber and the chosenbilling scheme and service level. In another embodiment of the inventiona method is provided for communicating to a network user data during anongoing networking session. The method comprises the steps ofestablishing computer network access to a user's host through a gatewaydevice interface, creating pop-up control panel packets at the gatewaydevice, sending the pop-up control panel packets to the user's host, andgenerating a pop-up control panel on the monitor of the user's host thatcomprises data. The data will typically comprise user-specific databased upon a user's profile, the chosen billing scheme, the chosenservice level or the location from which the user desires access.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment,the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, thisconfiguration process establishes the protocol and other parameters bywhich the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, aplurality of computers is networked to create a local area network(LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured inorder to exchange data over the network. Since most networks arecustomized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are partof different networks are generally configured in different manners inorder to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.

While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network fora substantial period of time, laptops, handhelds, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), cellphones or other portable computers (collectively“portable computers”) are specifically designed to be transportable. Assuch, portable computers are connected to different networks atdifferent times depending upon the location of the computer. In a commonexample in which the portable computer serves as an employee's desktopcomputer, the portable computer is configured to communicate with theiremployer's network, i.e., the enterprise network. When the employeetravels, however, the portable computer may be connected to differentnetworks that communicate in different manners. In this regard, theemployee may connect the portable computer to the network maintained byan airport, a hotel, a cellular telephone network operator or any otherlocale in order to access the enterprise network, the Internet or someother on-line service. The portable computer is also commonly brought tothe employee's residence where it is used to access various networks,such as, the enterprise network, a home network, the Internet and thelike. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user each time that the portablecomputer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, thisrepeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite timeconsuming, but is also prone to errors. The reconfiguration proceduremay even be beyond the capabilities of many users or in violation oftheir employer's IT policy.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, a universal subscriber gateway devicehas been developed by Nomadix, L.L.C. of Westlake Village, Calif. Thecontents of both of these applications are expressly incorporated hereinby reference. The gateway device serves as an interface connecting theuser/subscriber to a number of networks or other online services. Forexample, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, theenterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. Inaddition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automaticallyadapts to a computer, in order that it may communicate with the newnetwork in a manner that is transparent both to the user/subscriber andthe new network. Once the gateway device has appropriately adapted tothe user's computer, the computer can appropriately communicate via thenew network, such as the network at a hotel, at home, at an airport, orany other location, in order to access other networks, such as theenterprise network, or other online services, such as the internet.

The portable computer user/subscriber, and more specifically the remoteor laptop user, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computernetworks without having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-oftendaunting task of reconfiguring their host in accordance with networkspecific configurations. From another perspective, the network serviceprovider benefits from avoiding “on-site” visits and/or technicalsupport calls from the user who is unable to properly re-configure theportable computer. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable ofproviding more efficient network access and network maintenance to theuser/subscriber and the network operator.

A gateway device is also instrumental in providing the user/subscriberbroadband network access that can be tailored to the user's needs. Inmany instances the remote user is concerned with being able to acquirenetwork access and levels of service in the most cost-effective manner.Correspondingly, the gateway device administrator desires the capabilityto be able to offer the user/subscriber numerous different service,routing, and billing rate options. By way of example, the remote user ina hotel environment may desire a network subscription for the durationof their hotel stay while the user in an airport may desire a networksubscription for the duration of their layover or until their scheduledflight departs. Additionally, a user may desire a certain level ofservice based on bandwidth concerns and the need for higher or lowerdata transfer rates. For example, the user/subscriber who is accessing anetwork for the purpose of viewing text may desire a lower bandwidthservice level that meets their particular needs, however, anotheruser/subscriber who is accessing a network for the purpose ofdownloading files may desire a higher bandwidth service level capable oftransferring data at higher speeds.

Additionally, the network service provider benefits from being able tooffer various service, routing and billing options to theuser/subscriber. By offering service at varying speeds and pricingscales, the network service provider is able to minimize networkcongestion, i.e. not all user/subscribers are tied to one high speed(and high cost) service. Lessening network traffic is beneficial forattracting new subscribers and insuring that pre-existing subscribersmaintain status quo. From an economic standpoint, differentiated servicequality and usage based pricing will promote the use and deployment ofbroadband network access and enhance the revenue models of the networkservice providers. No longer will the user/subscriber be tied to aflat-rate billing scheme that offers a single level of service quality.Flat-rate pricing and single level service quality wastes resources,require light network users to subsidize heavy users, and hinders thedissemination of widespread use of broadband network access.Additionally, the ability to provide differentiated service quality andusage based pricing can be enhanced by providing these features ondemand and dynamically throughout the user's network session. For a moredetailed discussion of the need to provide differentiated quality ofservice and billing schemes to the broadband network environment seeRichard J. Edell and Pravin P. Varaiya, “Providing Internet Access: WhatWe Learn From INDEX”, INDEX project report #99-010W, Apr. 16, 1999,(http://www.INDEX.Berkeley.edu/reports/99-010W). That document is hereinexpressly incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein.

In today's fast paced computing and networking environment it is evenmore advantageous to provide these service and billing optionsdynamically, allowing the user/subscriber to change, for example,billing rates, service routing or bandwidth capacity while a networksession is on going. This would allow the user/subscriber to be billedat one rate while downloading the data-intensive file while choosing amore cost-effective billing structure for the less data-intensiveactivities. Additionally, the dynamic nature of this process would allowthe user/subscriber to change service levels or billing rates withoutthe need to exit the network and initiate a new log-on procedure. Ineffect, the user/subscriber benefits from having a more efficient andless time-consuming means of altering service levels and billingstructure. For a more detailed discussion of dynamic bandwidthmanagement see U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/161,182, entitled“Systems and Methods for Dynamic Bandwidth Management on a PerSubscriber Basis in a Computer Network,” incorporated elsewhere herein.

In order to make the user/subscriber constantly aware that these diverseservice and billing options exist the gateway device administrator needsto be able to provide the user/subscriber with real-time informationpertaining to the network session(s) that the user currently hason-going. The gateway administrator would benefit from being able toprovide the user/subscriber with constant or intermittent data relatedto the network sessions currently on-going, the duration of thosesessions, the bandwidth currently being used, the number of bytes thathave been transferred and any other information related to the currentnetwork session. In this manner, the user/subscriber has the capabilityto monitor and make the appropriate adjustments to the billing structureand/or service levels related to the network sessions that he or shecurrently has on going. The user/subscriber may choose to stop orshutdown connections (and thus billing) to those networks not currentlybeing utilized. The user/subscriber may monitor the duration of thenetwork session and determine that a longer subscription is necessary orthe user may observe the bandwidth currently used and determine that thecurrent application warrants an increase or decrease in bandwidth. Theability to provide this real-time information to the user is especiallyimportant in light of the fact that the typical, infrequent gatewaydevice user will be unfamiliar with billing and service structure and,particularly, the capability to change these features on-the-fly.

From the perspective of the network service provider, the ability tooffer flexible service quality, routing options and billing plansultimately can lead to less overall network congestion. The currentbroadband standard of flat rate billing and one-dimensional service androuting options force the network service provider in to effectivelytransmitting all network data at maximum bandwidth. By lessening thecongestion within the network, the service provider is able toaccommodate more user/subscribers and provide those user/subscriberswith a more effective network. The ability to lessen congestion is evenmore apparent if the network service provider can offer theuser/subscriber the capability to make changes to the service quality,routing and billing structure while the network session is on going.Additionally, by offering differentiated quality of service, routing andbilling the network service provider may be able to increase the volumeof user/subscribers accessing the network.

Summary

The present invention comprises a user pop-up control panel that isadministered through a gateway device. The gateway device is capable oftransparently connecting the user/subscriber to multiple networkswithout the need to reconfigure the user's host computer. The pop-upcontrol panel allows the gateway administrator to provide real-time,network session specific data to the user/subscriber. Theuser/subscriber can then act on the data provided to dynamically changethe features of a current network session. Additionally, the pop-upcontrol panel can provide for information or access to informationthrough appropriate links. In many instances, the information providedor the links to information may be user-specific information. The basisor “know-how” for the user-specific data can be provided by the networkservice provider (i.e. user profiles in the network database) or throughdirect user inputs. The pop-up control panel provides the gatewayadministrator the capability to provide the user with all forms ofinformation, for example, the pop-up control panel can provide formonitoring of the network session, or it can provide for marketingcapabilities through advertising medium or it can provide the serviceprovider with a means to poll or survey users. These examples of thetypes of information that a pop-up control panel may provide should notbe construed as limiting. The pop-up control panel may be configured bythe gateway administrator, network provider or user/subscriber toprovide a wide variety of information.

In one embodiment of the invention a pop-up control panel is provided toa user/subscriber during a network session. The pop-up control panel mayinclude information and links to information in response toconfiguration of the panel by the gateway administrator or thesubscriber/user. In many instances, the information that is provided forin the pop-up control panel will be user-specific data assembled fromuser profiles in network databases or from direct user/subscriberinputs. The information that is provided to the user/subscriber via thepop-up control panel may include monitoring of the network session,polling/surveying the user/subscriber, user-tailored advertisements, orinformation on other services/features offered by the network provider.

In another embodiment of the present invention the pop-up control panelmay include attributes such as, identifying the network session(s)currently in-use, identifying the duration of network sessions currentlyin use, identifying the bandwidth currently available for a specificnetwork session and identifying the current amount of bytes receivedand/or sent for a specific network session. It is to be understood, bythose skilled in the art to which this invention relates that allconceivable useful information relating to the current network sessioncould be displayed to the user/subscriber in a multitude of combinationsas defined by the user/subscriber and/or the gateway administrator. Thegateway administrator will have the capability to dynamically change theinformation supplied in the pop-up control panel based on many factors,including the location of the user/subscriber, the profile of the usersubscriber and the chosen billing scheme and service level.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention a method is providedfor communicating to a network user data during an ongoing networkingsession. The method comprises of the steps of establishing computernetwork access to a user's host through a gateway device interface,communicating with databases associated with the gateway device todetermine user-specific data, creating pop-up control panel packets atthe gateway device having attribute data associated with theuser-specific data, sending the pop-up control panel packets to theuser's host, and generating a pop-up control panel on the monitor of theuser's host that comprises data. The data will typically comprise datarelated to a user's profile, the chosen billing scheme, the chosenservice level, the location from which the user desires access or anyother information deemed pertinent by the gateway administrator oruser/subscriber.

Description

Referring now to FIG. 16, the computer system 10 that includes a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer systemtypically includes a plurality of computers 14 that access the computernetwork in order to gain access to other networks or other onlineservices. For example, the computers can be plugged into ports that arelocated in different rooms of a hotel or a multi-dwelling residence.Alternatively, the computers can be plugged into ports in an airport, anarena, or the like. The computer system also includes a gateway devicethat provides an interface between the plurality of computers and thevarious networks or other online services. Most commonly, the gatewaydevice is located near the computers at a relatively low position in thestructure of the overall network. (i.e. the gateway will be locatedwithin the hotel, multi-unit residence, airport, etc.) However, thegateway device can be located at a higher position in the overallnetwork structure such as at a Point of Presence (PoP) of NetworkOperating Center (NOC), if so desired. Although the gateway device canbe physically embodied in many different fashions, the gateway devicetypically includes a controller and a memory device in which software isstored that defines the operational characteristics of the gatewaydevice. Alternatively, the gateway device can be embedded within anothernetwork device, such as the access controller or a router, or thesoftware that defines the functioning of the gateway device can bestored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into the computer in orderto automatically reconfigure the computer to communicate with adifferent computer system.

The computer system 10 also typically includes an access controller 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers are connected to the access controller, the access controllercan be configured in different manners. For example, the accesscontroller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) forsignals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable head end forsignals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless access point (WAP)for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a cable modemtermination system (CMTS), a switch or the like. As also shown in FIG.16, the computer system typically includes one or more routers 18 and/orservers (not shown in FIG. 16) of a plurality of computer networks 20 orother online services 22. While the computer system is depicted to havea single router, the computer system can have a plurality of routers,switches, bridges, or the like that are arranged in some hierarchicalfashion in order to appropriately route traffic to and from the variousnetworks or other online services. In this regard, the gateway devicetypically establishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, inturn, establish links with the servers of other networks or other onlineservice providers, such as internet service providers, based upon thesubscriber's selection.

The gateway device 12 is specifically designed to adapt to theconfiguration of each of the computers 14 that log onto the computernetwork 10 in a manner that is transparent to the subscriber and thecomputer network. In the typical computer network that employs dynamichost configuration protocol (DHCP) service, an IP address is assigned tothe computer that is logging onto the computer network throughcommunication with the gateway device. The DHCP service can be providedby an external DHCP server 24 or it can be provided by an internal DHCPserver located within the gateway device. Upon opening their web browseror otherwise attempting to access an on-line service, the gateway devicewill direct the subscriber to enter some form of an identifier such astheir ID and password. In an alternate embodiment of the device, it isanticipated that the gateway device will be able to automatically detectthis information upon connection of the computer to the network or anyattempt to log in. The gateway device then determines if the subscriberis entitled to access the computer system, the level of access and/orthe type of services to which the subscriber is entitled according to anAuthentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) procedure that isdescribed by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/111,497. An AAA server, which is adatabase of subscriber records, may be remote to the gateway device orthe AAA database may be incorporated into the physical embodimenthousing the gateway device. Assuming that the subscriber has beenauthenticated and has authorization, the gateway device typicallypresents new subscribers with a home page or control panel thatidentifies, among other things, the online services or other computernetworks that are accessible via the gateway device. In addition, thehome page presented by the gateway device can provide informationregarding the current parameters or settings that will govern the accessprovided to the particular subscriber. As such, the gatewayadministrator can readily alter the parameters or other settings inorder to tailor the service according to their particular application.Typically, changes in the parameters or other settings that willpotentially utilize additional resources of the computer system willcome at a cost, such that the gateway administrator will charge thesubscriber a higher rate for their service. For example, a subscribermay elect to increase the transfer rate at which signals are transmittedacross the computer network and pay a correspondingly higher price forthe expedited service.

The home page also permits the subscriber to select the computer network20 or other online services 22 that the subscriber wishes to access. Forexample, the subscriber can access the enterprise network on which thecomputer is typically resident. Alternatively, the subscriber can accessthe internet or other on-line services. Once the subscriber elects toaccess a computer network or other online service, the gateway deviceestablishes an appropriate links via one or more routers 18 to thedesired computer network or online service.

Thereafter, the subscriber can communicate freely with the desiredcomputer network 20 or other online service 22. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 12 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to the user/subscriber and thenetwork. In this regard, for outbound traffic from the computer 12 tothe computer network or other on-line service, the gateway devicechanges attributes within the packet coming from the user/subscriber,such as the source address, checksum, and application specificparameters, to meet the criteria of the network to which theuser/subscriber has accessed. In addition, the outgoing packet includesan attribute that will direct all incoming packets from the accessednetwork to be routed through the gateway device. In contrast, theinbound traffic from the computer network or other online service thatis routed through the gateway device, undergoes a translation functionat the gateway device so that the packets are properly formatted for theuser/subscriber's host computer. In this manner, the packet translationprocess that takes place at the gateway device is transparent to thehost, which appears to send and receive data directly from the accessedcomputer network. Additional information regarding the translationfunction is provided by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,714. Byimplementing the gateway device as an interface between theuser/subscriber and the computer network or other online service,however, the user/subscriber will eliminate the need to re-configuretheir computer 12 upon accessing subsequent networks.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the gateway deviceimplements a pop-up control panel. Once the user/subscriber has gainedaccess to one or more networks through the gateway device, the pop-upcontrol panel is communicated to the host computer from the gatewaydevice and provides the user/subscriber with information. Theinformation that is provided to the user/subscriber in the pop-upcontrol panel may include information of various types, forms andcontent. The information that is provided for in the pop-up controlpanel may be static information or dynamic information. The informationprovided in the pop-up control panel may be user specific, site specificor gateway device specific. In the user-specific model the data may bebased on information found in network databases or information providedby the user/subscriber. By way of example, the information provided forin the pop-up control panel may be for network monitoring purposes, formarketing purposes or any other conceivable purpose that the gatewayadministrator or user/subscriber deems appropriate.

Within the realm of marketing, the pop-up control panel may includeadvertising tailored to the specific needs of the user/subscriber. Thegateway device would be capable of tailoring the material based uponuser profiles in the network. The pop-up control panel may alsoincorporate surveys or links to surveys to provide the network providerwith beneficial statistical data. As an ancillary benefit, theuser/subscriber who responds to the surveys may be rewarded with networkaccess credit or upgraded quality. Additionally, the service providedcould offer additional services to the user/subscriber by way of thepop-up control panel or links to these services may be offered on thepop-up control panel. These services offered by the network serviceprovider are not limited to the services related to the networkconnection. For example, a hotel may desire to offer the user/subscriberin-room food service or a multi-unit dwelling may want to offer housecleaning service.

The pop-up control panel may also comprise information related to thestatus of the current network session. By way of example thisinformation may include, current billing structure data, thecategory/level of service that the user/subscriber has chosen, thebandwidth being provided to the user, the bytes of information currentlysent or received, the current status of network connection(s) and theduration of the existing network connection(s). It is to be understood,by those skilled in the art to which this invention relates that allconceivable useful information relating to the current network sessioncould be displayed to the user/subscriber in a multitude of combinationsas defined by the user/subscriber and/or the gateway administrator. Thegateway administrator will have the capability to dynamically change theinformation supplied in the pop-up control panel based on many factors,including the location of the user/subscriber, the profile of the usersubscriber and the chosen billing scheme and service level. Theinformation provided in the pop-up control panel may prompt theuser/subscriber to return to the provisioning page to adjust any numberof specific parameters, such as the billing scheme, the routing, thelevel of service and/or other user-related parameters.

The pop-up control panel may be implemented with an object-orientedprogramming language such as Java developed by Sun Microsystems,Incorporated of Mountain View, Calif. The code that defines the pop-upcontrol panel is embodied within the gateway device, while the displaymonitor and the driver are located with the host computer's that are incommunication with the gateway device. The object oriented programminglanguage that is used should be capable of creating executable content(i.e. self-running applications) that can be easily distributed throughnetworking environments. The object oriented programming language shouldbe capable of creating special programs, typically referred to asapplets that can be incorporated in web pages to make them interactive.In this invention the applets take the form of the pop-up controlpanels. It should be noted that the chosen object-oriented programminglanguage would require that a compatible web browser be implemented tointerpret and run the pop-up control panel. It is also possible toimplement the pop-up control panel using other programming languages,such as HTML, SGML and XML; however, these languages may not be able toprovide all the dynamic capabilities that languages, such as Javaprovide.

The gateway administrator or the user/subscriber may have control overhow frequently a pop-up control panel is invoked by the gateway deviceso that it appears on the monitor of the user/subscriber. Typically thegateway device will be configured to invoke an initial pop-up controlpanel to the user/subscriber's host a short period of time after theuser has gained access to a network service provided by the gatewayadministrator. Additionally, the pop-up control panel may be invokedautomatically in response to predetermined conditions. An example being,invoking the pop-up control panel in response to the user/subscriber'simminent subscription expiration. The pop-up control panel may also begenerated and controlled by the user/subscriber. The user subscriber canchoose to have the pop-up control panel visual throughout the networksession or the pop-up control can be minimized or deleted. It is alsopossible for the gateway administer to configure the pop-up controlpanel so that it can not be deleted or the user/subscriber can berewarded (e.g. additional access time) for maintaining a visible pop-upcontrol throughout the network session.

The pop-up control panel is configured to send heartbeat packets back tothe gateway device at predetermined specified intervals to let thegateway know that the user/subscriber still has an active, pop-upcontrol panel in use or at the user's disposal. If the gateway devicedoes not receive a heartbeat from the host after a predetermined periodof time, it will assume that the user has deleted the pop-up controlpanel or the pop-up control panel has otherwise failed. In the instancewhere a heartbeat is not received by the gateway device after apredetermined time period, the gateway device will re-send a new updatedpop-up control panel to the user/subscriber. Through the use of these“heartbeats” the gateway device will be able to insure that theuser/subscriber always has ready access to the user-related informationprovided by the pop-up control panel. The user/subscriber will also havethe capability to locate the pop-up control panel anywhere within theviewable area of the computer monitor. The physical embodiment of thepop-up control panel can be modified in an infinite number of ways tosuit either the user or the gateway administrator. For example, thepanel size, color, graphics, location, form of read out (digital vs.analog), language, scales (e.g. metric vs. U.S.) can all be varied, aswell as the rate at which information is provided.

It should be noted that the pop-up control panel will only be activelysent from the gateway device if the user/subscriber is accessing anetwork provided service, such as broadband Internet access, that isprovided by the gateway administrator. If the user chooses to stop usingthe network service, such as broadband Internet access, they can closethe application and the pop-up control panel will correspondingly beinactive. The gateway device recognizes that the network providedservice has been disabled and stops sending pop-up control panel packetsto the host. Upon the user/subscriber re-activating the network providedservice the gateway device will recognize the need to send a new pop-upcontrol panel and begin recognizing “heartbeats” coming from the pop-upcontrol panel.

FIGS. 30-34 are depictions of various examples of pop-up control panelsproviding for network session data. These pop-up control panels areshown by way of example to illustrate the various user specificinformation that the pop-up control panels may contain. These pop-upcontrol panels are typically associated with a specific billing and/orservice level plan. The gateway administrator or the network operatormay choose to offer any or all of these billing and/or service options.The pop-up control panel that will be sent to the user/subscriber'scomputer may be tailored to reflect the user data that is pertinent tothe chosen and available billing methods and/or service levels.

FIG. 30 shows a pop-up control panel 50, that includes the currentchosen connection speed (i.e. bandwidth) 52, an elapsed time counter 54,a current charges accrued counter 56 and a start/stop button 58. Theattribute fields in this pop-up control panel are typically used if thegateway administrator or network operators offer a billing plan based onthe bandwidth that the user selects, commonly referred to as a“pay-per-use” method of billing. For example, the gateway administratoror network operators may structure billing at $0.10 per minute for 200Kbps bandwidth, $0.20 per minute for 400 Kbps bandwidth and $0.35 perminute for 800 Kbps per minute bandwidth. If the user chooses 200 Kpbsat $0.10 per minute, then the initial pop-up control panel will identify200 Kpbs as the current bandwidth along with the elapsed time that theuser has been connected to the accessed network and a running total ofthe charges that have been incurred. If the user/subscriber desires tochange the bandwidth setting, they can click on the box containing thecurrent bandwidth and are re-directed to a service provisioning screento choose an alternative billing method.

The start/stop buttons 58 allow the user the benefit of stopping thecharges to an account (i.e. temporarily disabling the network) withoutclosing the user's web browser. A user/subscriber can activate the stopbutton and be re-directed back to the home page or portal page. From theuser/subscriber standpoint the ability to momentarily disable thenetwork and stop incurring charges is a cost-effective form ofnetworking. From the gateway administrator or network operatorstandpoint the momentary network stoppage means the user will bedirected back to the portal or home page. By re-directing the user backto the portal or home page the gateway administrator or network operatoris provided the opportunity to present the user/subscriber with updatedinformation pertaining to the remote location (i.e. the hotel, theairport etc.). When the user desires to re-establish network connectionthe user may activate the start button on the pop-up control panel andcharges will again incur. The start/stop buttons may be implemented atthe discretion of the gateway administrator or network operator and mostof the billing plans and service plans will provide for the option ofpresenting the start/stop button feature within the pop-up controlpanel. Additionally, the pop-up control panel may comprise a timer (notshown in FIGS. 30-34) that alerts the user/subscriber that asubscription is about to expire.

Additional pop-up control panel fields are provided in the form ofclick-on buttons 60 located, in this instance, near the bottom of thepop-up panel. By way of example the buttons shown in FIG. 30 provide forlinks to the a corporate home page, a travel site on the Internet, anInternet search Engine and a network provider home page. Those ofordinary skill in the art will note that the additional fields withinthe pop-up panel may encompass infinite possibilities for links,services and information. Additionally, the buttons or any other fieldwithin the pop-up control panel may include other types of informationoptions, such as advertising fields or user-specific links or fieldsbased upon data found in the user's profile or inputted by theuser/subscriber.

FIG. 31 depicts a pop-up control panel 70 having the additionalattribute fields of billing zone 72 and rate factor 74. The gatewayadministrator or network operators may choose to charge a premium foraccess during peak usage periods. These periods, or zones, willtypically be defined by the hours in the day or the days of the week(i.e. weekday versus weekend day). For example network usage during the9 am to 5 pm period may be billed at a rate factor of 1.25, whilenetwork usage during the 5 pm to 9 am period may be billed at a ratefactor of 1.0. Thus, the pop-up control panel will include the billingzone that the user/subscriber currently occupies, as well as the ratefactor that is tied to the specific billing zone. The user/subscriberwill have been made aware of billing zones and rate factors when theinitial service provisioning screen was presented during the log-on andbilling process.

FIG. 32 illustrates a pop-up control panel 80 that includes the currentdata transferred counter 82, current charges accrued counter 84, andcurrent connection speed 86. The attribute fields in this pop-up controlpanel are typically used if the gateway administrator or networkoperators offer a billing plan based on the quantity of data that istransferred, typically both sent and received data, commonly referred toas a “bitmeter” method of billing. For example, the gatewayadministrator or network operator may choose to charge user/subscribersthe flat rate of $1.00 per megabyte of data transmitted. If theuser/subscriber desires to change the bandwidth setting, they canclick-on the box containing the current bandwidth and are re-directed toa service provisioning screen to choose an alternative bandwidth. Thestart/stop buttons, not shown in FIG. 32, may also be implemented inthis pop-up control panel.

FIG. 33 shows a pop-up control panel 90 that includes a time remainingcounter 92 and a current connection speed 94. The attribute fields inthis pop-up control panel are typically used if the gatewayadministrator or network operators offer a billing plan based on aspecific level of service (i.e. desired bandwidth) for a specific periodof time, commonly referred to as an “expiration time” method of billing.In this billing and service scheme, the user/subscriber may choosedifferent pricing schemes based on the level of service (i.e. desiredbandwidth) and the duration of their subscription. For example, the usermay be offered a 1, 2, 4, 8 or 24 hour Subscription with the option tooperate at a 200, 400 or 800 Kpbs bandwidth. If the user/subscriberdesires to change the duration of the subscription or the level ofservice, it may be possible to click-on the box containing the remainingtime or current bandwidth, be re-directed to a service provisioningscreen and choose an alternate service plan offering a higher level ofservice or a longer subscription period. The start/stop buttons will nottypically be employed in the “expiration time” method because thesubscription has a specific time duration.

FIG. 34 illustrates a pop-up control panel 100 that includes currentconnection speed 102, a remaining credit counter 104 and a start/stopbutton 106. The attribute fields in this pop-up control panel aretypically used if the gateway administrator or network operator offers abilling plan based on pre-purchasing a desired amount of network“credit”. In this type of billing scheme the user/subscriber will beoffered various bandwidth options, each of which is tied to specifiedcosts per minute of use. The user will then purchase a “block” ofnetwork access, for example $20.00 of network use. The block of networkaccess will then allow the user to choose the bandwidth of theconnection. If the user chooses a slow connection speed they willdeplete their “block” of network access more slowly than if they choosea higher connection speed. By clicking on the bandwidth connection fieldwithin the pop-up control panel the user/subscriber will be re-directedto the service provisioning page to change the bandwidth to accommodatea higher or lower connection speed. The start/stop button may also beimplemented in this pop-up control panel.

The pop-up control panel is not limited to supplying information relatedto the user/subscriber's billing and service plans. It is also possibleto configure the pop-up control panel to include information that iscustomized to the user/subscriber or the location/site from which theuser is remotely located. For example, the user may be located at ahotel for the purpose of attending a specific convention or conferenceeither in the hotel or within the immediate vicinity of the hotel. Thegateway device may have “learned” this information about theuser/subscriber through an initial logon profile inquiry or the gatewayadminister may have inputted this information into a database. Thegateway device can store profile information within the user-specificAAA database or it can store and retrieve data from external databases.The gateway device can be configured to recognize these profiles and tocustomize the pop-up control panel accordingly. In the hotel scenario,the pop-up control panel may include a link for convention or conferenceservices offered by the hotel.

In another example of location specific pop-up control panel data, theuser subscriber may be remotely accessing the gateway device whilelocated in a specific airport terminal. The gateway device will beconfigured so that it is capable of providing ready access toinformation related to that specific airport terminal, i.e. informationpertaining to the current flights scheduled to depart and arrive at thatterminal, the retail services offered in that specific terminal, etc. Inthis manner, the pop-up control panel may include a link for terminalspecific flight information and/or terminal specific retail servicesavailable to the user/subscriber.

Customization of the information comprising the pop-up control panel isnot limited to the gateway administrator or the network operator. Theuser/subscriber may also be able to customize the information that isprovided in the pop-up control panel. The user/subscriber customizationmay be accomplished either directly by the user configuring the pop-upcontrol panel manually or indirectly from the gateway device configuringthe pop-up control panel in response to data found in the user-specificprofile. In the manual embodiment the user/subscriber may be asked tochoose which information or type of information they would like suppliedin the popup for that specific network session. For instance, the usermay require an alarm clock counter to insure an appointment is met orthe user may require periodical updates of a specific stock quote. Theinformation that a user customizes for the popup control panel may benetwork session specific, may be associated with the duration of agateway subscription or may be stored in a user/subscriber profile foran indefinite period of time. The gateway device's ability tocommunicate with numerous user databases provides the basis for storinguser specific profiles for extended periods of time.

FIG. 35 shows a flow diagram of a method for providing a network userwith a pop-up control panel that incorporates data in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. At step 110, the user establishesnetwork access through a gateway device interface that is incommunication with the user's host and desired network. Communicationbetween the user's host and the gateway device can be accomplishedthough a conventional telephone/modem connection, a digital subscriberline (DSL), cable hook-up, wireless communication or any other suitablecommunication technique. Establishing access to the desired network willtypically involve an authorization and authentication process and insome instances choosing a desired billing scheme and service level asoffered by the gateway administrator or network operator. Once the userhas established the network service connection and a tunnel has beenopened to facilitate an open communication line between the user's hostand the network, the gateway device, at optional step 120, communicateswith various databases to assemble user-specific data. These databasesmay be internal databases located within the gateway device or externaldatabases located within the infrastructure of the composite network.The user-specific data that the gateway device assembles may comprisebilling scheme related data, service level data, user profile data,remote-site related data or any other data that is related to the useror the location from which the user is located during the networkingsession.

At step 130, the gateway device creates pop-up control packets that haveattributed data related to the information that will be conveyed in thepop-up control panel. These packets are typically written to accommodatestandard Internet Protocol (IP). At step 140, the packets are sent tothe user's host and at step 150 a pop-up control panel is generated onthe monitor of the user's host that includes information. In manyinstances, the information that is provided for in the pop-up controlwindow will be user-specific information conveyed from a network userprofile or directly input by the user/subscriber.

Transparent Computer Access and Communication with a Service ProviderNetwork Using a Network Gateway Device

A system and method for enabling a transparent communication between acomputer and a service provider network. The system and method includesa computer and a network gateway device in communication with thecomputer, wherein the network gateway device connects the computer to acomputer network. The network gateway device also receives user datarepresentative of a user attempting to access the computer network. Thesystem and method further includes a service provider network incommunication with said network gateway device. The service providernetwork, such as an ISP network, includes an authentication server incommunication with the network gateway device and having a databasecomprising user profiles representing users authorized to access saidcomputer network. The authentication server compares the user datarepresentative of a user attempting to access the computer network tothe user profiles representing users authorized to access the computernetwork to determine if the user attempting to access the computernetwork can access the computer network. The system and method canfurther include an accounting system for maintaining historical dataconcerning use of said service provider network.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment,the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, thisconfiguration process establishes the protocol and other parameters bywhich the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, aplurality of computers is networked to create a local area network(LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured inorder to exchange data over the network. Since most networks arecustomized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are partof different networks are generally configured in different manners inorder to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.

While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network fora substantial period of time, laptops, handhelds, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), cellphones or other portable computers (collectively“portable computers”) are specifically designed to be transportable. Assuch, portable computers are connected to different networks atdifferent times depending upon the location of the computer. In a commonexample in which the portable computer serves as an employee's desktopcomputer, the portable computer is configured to communicate with theiremployer's network, i.e., the enterprise network. When the employeetravels, however, the portable computer may be connected to differentnetworks that communicate in different manners. In this regard, theemployee may connect the portable computer to the network maintained byan airport, a hotel, a cellular telephone network operator or any otherlocale in order to access the enterprise network, the Internet or someother on-line service. The portable computer is also commonly brought tothe employee's residence where it is used to access various networks,such as, the enterprise network, a home network, the Internet and thelike. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user each time that the portablecomputer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, thisrepeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite timeconsuming, but is also prone to errors. The reconfiguration proceduremay even be beyond the capabilities of many users or in violation oftheir employer's IT policy.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, a universal subscriber gateway devicehas been developed by Nomadix, L.L.C. of Westlake Village, Calif. Thecontents of both of these applications are incorporated herein byreference. The gateway device serves as an interface connecting theuser/subscriber to a number of networks or other online services. Forexample, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, theenterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. Inaddition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automaticallyadapts to a computer, in order that it may communicate with the newnetwork in a manner that is transparent both to the user/subscriber andthe new network. Once the gateway device has appropriately adapted tothe user's computer, the computer can appropriately communicate via thenew network, such as the network at a hotel, at home, at an airport, orany other location, in order to access other networks, such as theenterprise network, or other online services, such as the internet.

The portable computer user/subscriber, and more specifically the remoteor laptop user, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computernetworks without having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-oftendaunting task of reconfiguring their host in accordance with networkspecific configurations. From another perspective, the network serviceprovider benefits from avoiding “on-site” visits and/or technicalsupport calls from the user who is unable to properly re-configure theportable computer. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable ofproviding more efficient network access and network maintenance to theuser/subscriber and the network operator. A gateway device is alsoinstrumental in providing the user/subscriber broadband network accessthat can be tailored to the user's needs.

Along with the daunting task of reconfiguring their computer, computerusers desiring fast and remote internet access often must deal withinternet service providers (ISPs) which provide Internet access to bothindividuals and network systems. In conventional dial-up networksystems, in order for a user to connect to on-line services, and morespecifically, the Internet, the user must install client side softwareonto the user's computer. Client side software is typically provided byISP with whom the user has subscribed for internet access, and enablesthe client to configure his or her computer to communicate with thatISP. After installation of the ISP's client side software the user mustestablish an account with the ISP for internet access. Typically, a usersubscribes to an ISP, such as America Online™, Mindspring™, Earthlink™,Compuserve™ or the like, by contracting directly with the ISP forInternet access. Usually, the user pays for such Internet access on amonthly fixed fee basis. Regardless of the user's location, the user maydial up an access number provided by the ISP and obtain Internet access.The connection is often achieved via a modern communicating over atelephone line.

Likewise, in order for a computer network to communicate with theinternet, the computer network must be connected to an ISP or likeentity providing Internet access. One common example of such aconnection is where an employer enterprise network is connected to a ISPvia a high bandwidth connection. In such a case, the employer hascontracted for internet service with an ISP or the like. In this regard,the user's employer has likely absorbed the costs of the internetconnection, such that the connection costs are not billed directly tothe user employee. The user's computer, typically a desktop computer, isconfigured to enable Internet access through the enterprise network.However, as noted above, while desktop computers generally remain a partof the same network for a substantial period of time, laptops,handhelds, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellphones or otherportable computers (collectively “portable computers”) are specificallydesigned to be transportable. As such, portable computers are connectedto different networks at different times depending upon the location ofthe computer.

In order for a gateway device located on a computer network to serve asan interface and connect users to the Internet, the computer networkmust be connected to an ISP or like entity providing the computernetwork with Internet access. However, unlike the enterprise networkexample, above, when a user connects to the Internet via a gatewaydevice, the user will likely pay for the service as a user would pay forconventional home dial-up internet access. For example, where a user isstaying as a guest at a hotel which maintains a network and a subscribergateway, the hotel will not likely absorb the costs of the internetaccess. In fact, the hotel may wish to premium bill the guest forInternet access to obtain a profit from the hotel's network service.With the convenience provided by the gateway device, users will likelyyield to such payments for the convenience of fast, immediate and easyinternet access.

Therefore, what is needed is a method in which remote users can obtaininternet access through local networks while obviating the need forinconvenient, time consuming and restrictive subscription contracts withISPs. Users do not want to reconfigure their computers to accommodatevarious networks which they may only utilize once, and also do not wantto spend the time to install client-side software on their computers sothat they can obtain Internet access. At the same time, networkproviders, such as those at hotels, want to be able to provide usersinternet access, while passing the costs for such service directly tothe users. Therefore, what is needed is a system and method utilizingthe gateway device in which a user can transparently connect to an ISPthereby obtaining Internet access without requiring client side softwareand a subscription agreement with an ISP.

Summary

The present invention enables computer users to connect to a networkthrough a gateway device that automatically adapts the users' computerssuch that the users can communicate via the gateway device with othernetworks, on-line service and the internet, without necessitating thatthe user subscribe to an internet service provider (ISP), installinternet service provider software, or otherwise be aware that anyInternet connection is enabled and/or managed by an ISP. Therefore, theuser's relationship with the ISP, on-line services, and other networksis transparent. That is, the system of the present inventionautomatically communicates with networks and service providers to enableusers complete plug and play remote access to networks and the internetwithout reconfiguring or adding software to the users' computers.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a system forenabling a transparent communication between a computer and a serviceprovider network. The system includes a computer and a network gatewaydevice in communication with the computer, wherein the network gatewaydevice connects the computer to a computer network. The network gatewaydevice also receives user data representative of a user attempting toaccess the computer network. The system further includes a serviceprovider network in communication with said network gateway device. Theservice provider network, such as a ISP network, includes anauthentication server in communication with the network gateway deviceand having a database comprising user profiles representing usersauthorized to access said computer network. The authentication servercompares the user data representative of a user attempting to access thecomputer network to the user profiles representing users authorized toaccess the computer network to determine if the user attempting toaccess the computer network can access the computer network. The systemcan further comprise an accounting system for maintaining historicaldata concerning use of said service provider network.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a method for enablingtransparent communication between a computer and a service providernetwork is provided, comprising allowing a computer operator to access acomputer network via a network gateway device and collecting datacorresponding to a customer's identity in the network gateway device.The method also includes reconfiguring the data to one of thepredetermined data formats which may be received by an authenticationserver located within a service provider network. Furthermore, themethod includes transmitting the reconfigured data to the authenticationserver, wherein the authentication server compares the reconfigured datato user profiles stored within the authentication server to determine ifthe computer operator can access the service provider network.

Description

First, a computer system and gateway device according to one embodimentof the present invention will be described, for connecting a user to anumber of networks or other online services. The gateway deviceautomatically adapts to a computer, in order that it may communicatewith networks in a manner that is transparent both to theuser/subscriber and the networks. The gateway device can serve as agateway to the Internet, enterprise network, other networks and/oron-line services. Secondly, an authentication, authorization andaccounting system utilizing the gateway device in communication with anauthentication server and accounting system will be described. It willbe appreciated that the present invention allows users transparentaccess to computer networks, the Internet or other on-line serviceswithout requiring the users to subscribe to an ISP. Furthermore, thepresent invention allows users to pay for select services and suspendsbilling when a user is no longer actively using the computer system.

Computer System and Gateway Device of the Present Invention

Referring now to FIG. 36, the computer system 10 that includes a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer system 10typically includes a plurality of computers 14 that access a computernetwork in order to gain access to networks 20 or other online services22. For example, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports that arelocated in different rooms of a hotel or a multi-dwelling unit.Alternatively, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports in an airport,an arena, or the like. The gateway device 12 provides an interfacebetween the plurality of computers 14 and the various networks 20 orother online services 22.

Most commonly, the gateway device 12 is located near the computers 14 ata relatively low position in the overall network (i.e., the gateway willbe located within the hotel, multi-unit residence, airport, etc.).However, the gateway device 12 can be located at a higher position inthe system by being located closer to the various networks 20 or otheronline services 22, if so desired. Although the gateway device 12 can bephysically embodied in many different fashions, the gateway device 12typically includes a controller and a memory device in which software isstored that defines the operational characteristics of the gatewaydevice 12. Alternatively, the gateway device 12 can be embedded withinanother network device, such as an access controller 16 or a router 18.Moreover, the software that defines the functioning of the gatewaydevice 12 can be stored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into acomputer of the plurality of computers 14 in order to automaticallyreconfigure the computer to communicate with a different computersystem, such as the networks 20 and online services 22.

The computer system 10 typically includes an access controller 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device 12. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers 14 are connected to the access controller, the accesscontroller 16 can be configured in different manners. For example, theaccess controller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM)for signals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable head endfor signals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless access point(WAR) for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a CMPS, a switchor the like. As also shown in FIG. 36, the computer system 10 typicallyincludes one or more routers 18 and/or servers (not shown in FIG. 36) ofa plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services 22. Whilethe computer system 10 is depicted to have a single router, the computersystem 10 can have a plurality of routers, switches, bridges, or thelike that are arranged in some hierarchical fashion in order toappropriately route traffic to and from the various networks 20 or otheronline services 22. In this regard, the gateway device 12 typicallyestablishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, in turn,establish links with the servers of other networks or other onlineservice providers, such as internet service providers, based upon thesubscriber's selection. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skillin the art that one or more devices illustrated in FIG. 36 may becombinable. For example, although not shown, the router 18 may belocated entirely within the gateway device 12.

The gateway device 12 is specifically designed to configure computers 14that log onto the computer network in a manner that is transparent tothe subscriber. In the typical computer network that employs dynamichost configuration protocol (DHCP) service, the DHCP server 24 willinitially assign an IP address to a computer that is logging onto thecomputer network. Upon opening their web browser or otherwise attemptingto access an on-line service, the gateway device 12 will direct thesubscriber to enter their ID and password. The gateway device 12 thendetermines if the subscriber is entitled to access the computer system,the level of access and/or the type of services to which the subscriberis entitled according to an authentication, authorization and accountingprocedure that is described by U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/816,174 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/111,497. Assumingthat the subscriber has been authenticated and has authorization, thegateway device 12 typically presents new subscribers with a home page orcontrol panel that identifies, among other things, the online servicesor other computer networks that are accessible via the gateway device12. In addition, the home page presented by the gateway device 12 canprovide information regarding the current parameters or settings thatwill govern the access provided to the particular subscriber. As such,the operator can readily alter the parameters or other settings in orderto tailor the service according to their particular application.Typically, changes in the parameters or other settings that willpotentially utilize additional resources of the computer system willcome at a cost, such that the gateway device 12 will charge thesubscriber a higher rate for their service. For example, a subscribermay elect to increase the transfer rate at which signals are transmittedacross the computer network and pay a correspondingly higher price forthe expedited service.

The home page also permits the subscriber to select the computer network20 or other online service 22 that the subscriber wishes to access. Forexample, the subscriber can access the enterprise network on which thecomputer is typically resident. Alternatively, the subscriber can accessthe internet or other on-line services. Once the subscriber elects toaccess a computer network or other online service, the gateway device 12establishes the appropriate links via one or more routers 18 to thedesired computer network or online service.

Thereafter, the subscriber can communicate freely with the desiredcomputer network 20 or other online service 22. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 14 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to the subscriber. In thisregard, for outbound traffic from the computer 12 to the computernetwork or other on-line service, the gateway device 12 changes thecontent of the packet, such as the source address, checksum, andapplication specific parameters, such that all outgoing packets will bedirected back to the gateway device 12 rather than to the computer. Incontrast, the inbound traffic from the computer network or other onlineservice that arrives at the gateway device 12, which is really intendedfor the computer, is passed through the translation function so thepackets eventually delivered to the computer appear to have been sentdirectly to the computer. As such, the computer will be completelyunaware of the translation being performed by the gateway device.Additional information regarding the translation function is provided byU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,714. By utilizing the gatewaydevice 12 to communicate with the computer network or other onlineservice, however, the subscriber will never have had to configure theircomputer 12 since the gateway device automatically configures thecomputer in a manner that is transparent to the subscriber.

Authentication, Authorization and Accounting Enabled by the GatewayDevice in Communication with an Authentication Server and AccountingSystem

FIG. 37 is a block diagram of a computer system 40 according to thepresent invention, including a gateway device 12 in communication withan authentication server and accounting system for authenticating,authorizing and accounting user's use of a network. The computer system40 is essentially identical to the computer system 10 shown in FIG. 36,except that the gateway device 12 includes a network access server 28,and is in communication, through the router 18, with an authenticationserver 30 and an accounting system 32. Because the system 40 comprisessimilar components to the system illustrated in FIG. 36, it will beappreciated that the systems can be implemented in like manners withlike components. Furthermore, additional embodiments of the presentinvention discussed with respect to FIG. 36 may be implemented in thesystem 40 shown in FIG. 37.

As stated above with respect to FIG. 36, a user establishes networkaccess through the gateway device 12 that is in communication with theuser's host (such as a computer 14) and the desired network, on-lineservice or computer system. Communication between the user's host andthe gateway device 12 can be accomplished though a conventionaltelephone/modem connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL), cablehook-up, wireless communication or any other suitable communicationtechnique. Establishing access to the gateway device 12 will typicallyinvolve a process in which a user must enter their identity and apassword, and in some instances a desired billing scheme and servicelevel as offered by the gateway administrator or network operator(information hereinafter collectively referred to as user data).Additionally, the user data can include information such as a user'ssocial security number and a credit card number. Thereafter, uponconnection with the gateway device 12 via any of the communicationtechniques noted above, the network access server (NAS) 28, locatedwithin the gateway device 12, receives the user data. Upon receivinguser data representing the identity of a user attempting to access thenetwork, a primary function of the NAS 28 is to grant or deny the useraccess to the network.

Although the NAS 28 grants and denies access to users, the NAS 28 doesnot determine whether each user is allowed to connect to the networkand, if so, what type of connection should be established. Rather, thesedeterminations are made by the authentication server 30. Upon receivinguser data the NAS 28 reconfigures the data such that the data will be inthe proper format to be received by the authentication server 30, whichis discussed in detail below. In addition to reconfiguring the userdata, the NAS 28 can also encrypt the user data such that the useridentity and password will be protected during transmission to theauthentication server 30. After reconfiguration, and optionally,encryption, the NAS 28 transmits the data to the authentication server30 with a query to request that the authentication server 30authenticate the user.

The authentication server 30 stores user profiles corresponding to usersauthorized to access the network. The user profiles typically includeuser identifications, passwords, access authorization, billing, andother pertinent user information. The authentication server 30 comparesstored user profiles with the user data received from the gateway device12 to determine if the user should be granted access to the network. Assuch, the authentication server 30 generally comprises a database anddata storage means. According to one embodiment of the invention, theauthentication server 30 is maintained by an ISP. In this embodiment,the user profiles stored by the authentication server 30 establish thoseusers that can obtain Internet access via the ISP network. The ISP editsuser profiles within the authentication server 30 to reflect those userswho may become authorized or unauthorized to access the network.

For example, the ISP may only register user profiles in theauthentication database after users have been identified by the ISP andnecessary billing information, such as addresses, credit card numbers,have been submitted. If the ISP has not posted a user profile in theauthentication server 30 at the time of authentication, the user willnot be permitted access to the network. If this occurs, the user may beasked to submit profile information to the ISP so that the ISP can addthe user's profile to the authentication server 30. Furthermore, thismay also be done the first time a user attempts to access the gatewaydevice 12. The information may be entered by the user with the aid of apop-up control panel or user interface, which can open when the userinitially connects to the gateway device 12. As will be discussed below,the gateway device can request user information and forward it to theISP such that the user does not know an ISP is receiving theinformation.

The authentication server 30 is preferably outside of the network,although it may be located within the network. For example, the locationof the authentication server 30 may be such that the NAS 28 communicateswith the authentication server 30 via internet protocol. Therefore, itwill be appreciated that the authentication server 30 may be located atany internet address and stored on any computer accessible via internetprotocol. Locating the authentication server 30 outside of the networkprovides a number of advantages. First, the administrative burden on thenetwork is alleviated because the network does not have to set up andmaintain separate authentication databases on each network or gatewaydevice. This is especially important because each gateway device 12allows a finite number of users to access the network, so that multiplegateway devices may be required. Secondly, administering and maintainingone consolidated database of authentication data is easier than multiplesmaller databases.

Referring again to the authentication method of the system illustratedin FIG. 37, after reconfiguration, the NAS 28 transmits user data to theauthentication server 30 with a query to request that the authenticationserver 30 authenticate the user. The authentication server 30 receivesthe user data and then compares the received user data to user profilesstored within its database. The database may comprise programmablestorage means located on a conventional personal computer, mainframecomputer, or another suitable storage device known in the art.Additionally, the means for comparing the received data to the datawithin the database can comprise any software, such as an executablesoftware program, which can compare data. For example, theauthentication server may store user profiles on a hard drive of apersonal computer, and the means for comparing the received user data tothe user profiles resident on the computer can include computersoftware, such as Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Excel is a trademark ofMicrosoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.). According to another embodimentof the invention, the authentication server 30 can comprise a remoteauthentication dial-in user service (RADIUS), which is a well knownauthentication and accounting system used by a number of network serviceproviders (NSPs).

If the authentication server 30 determines that the user data matches auser profile located within its database, and that the user isauthorized to access the network, the authentication server informs theNAS 28 that the user should be allowed to access the network. Once theuser has established the network service connection and a tunnel hasbeen opened to facilitate an open communication line between the user'shost and the network, the gateway device 12 can communicate with theauthentication server 30 to assemble user-specific data. Theuser-specific data that the gateway device 12 assembles may comprisebilling scheme related data, service level data, user profile data,remote-site related data or any other data that is related to the useror the location from which the user is located during the networkingsession. As such, the authentication server 30 can transmit to thegateway device 12 any requisite information relating to the user'saccess rights and use of the network. For example, according to oneaspect of the invention, data included within the authentication server30 may comprise the baud rate (or bandwidth) at which the user is toreceive data from the ISP. At the same time or shortly after theauthentication server 30 indicates the user may access the network, theauthentication server 30 can notify the gateway device 12 of the baudrate at which the user is to receive data. Such information may beimportant where a user can select, for example, to pay higher connectionfees to receive higher bandwidth. As yet another illustrative example,the authentication server 30 could indicate that the user is onlyallowed access for 1 hour, after which the user should be disconnectedfrom the network by the gateway device 12.

Upon authorizing a user for access to the network, the authorizationserver 30 can also register an accounting start. Similarly, when theuser logs off the system, the gateway device 12 sends an accounting stopto the authentication server 30. Using this data, the time between theaccounting start and accounting stop may be tallied such that the user'stotal connection time may be computed. Such information is valuablewhere the user is being charged by an increment of time, such as anhour. A billing package could then tally up a user's total on-line timefor a period, such as each month, and could charge the usercorrespondingly. However, networks and ISPs often may charge a set ratefor a specific duration of time (i.e., flat rate pricing), such as amonth, regardless how much time is being spent accessing the network. Assuch, accounting stops and starts may not be required for billingpurposes. However, accounting starts and stops may generally be recordedby the network provider or ISP for usage statistics.

Additionally, the ISP would benefit from being able to tracksubscriber's use of the ISP to establish bills, historical reports, andother relevant information. The accounting system 32, in communicationwith the authentication server 30, provides these functions. Theaccounting system 32 downloads historical data from the authenticationserver 30 in a real time basis or after a specific interval of time haselapsed. Preferably, the accounting system 32 can retain such data in aneasily accessible and manipulatable format such that the ISP can producereports representative of any desired type of historical data. Forexample, to project future use of the ISP, the accounting system 32should produce reports indicating how many users accessed the internetat a certain time periods and from a certain locale. Moreover, where theISP provides alternative access to users, such as charging for fasterconnections (i.e., higher baud rate) for additional fees, the ISP maywish to analyze historical data using the accounting system 32 to bestmeet future customer demands. Such data may relate to network sessionscurrently on-going, the duration of those sessions, the bandwidthcurrently being used, the number of bytes that have been transferred andany other pertinent information. The accounting system 32 may beimplemented using well known programs, such as Eclipse Internet BillingSystem, Kenan Broadband Internet Billing Software (manufactured byLucent Technologies), or TRU RADIUS Accountant.

The gateway administrator or the network operator may choose to offerany or all of these billing and/or service options. A pop-up controlpanel can be sent to the user/subscriber's computer to reflect the datathat is pertinent to the chosen and available billing methods and/orservice levels. The control panel can include start and stop buttonswhich allow a user the benefit of stopping the charges to an account(i.e. temporarily disabling the network) without closing the user's webbrowser. A user/subscriber can activate the stop button and bere-directed back to the home page or portal page. From theuser/subscriber standpoint the ability to momentarily disable thenetwork and stop incurring charges is a cost-effective form ofnetworking. From the gateway administrator or network operatorstandpoint the momentary network stoppage means the user will bedirected back to the portal or home page. By re-directing the user backto the portal or home page the gateway administrator or network operatoris provided the opportunity to present the user/subscriber with updatedinformation pertaining to the remote location (i.e. the hotel, theairport etc.). When the user desires to re-establish network connectionthe user may activate the start button on the pop-up control panel andcharges will again incur. The start/stop buttons may be implemented atthe discretion of the gateway administrator or network operator and mostof the billing plans and service plans will provide for the option ofpresenting the start/stop button feature within the pop-up controlpanel. However, where a subscriber has paid for access of a specifictime duration, the start/stop buttons will not typically be employed.

Enabling Network Gateway Devices to Communicate with Management Systemsto Facilitate Subscriber Management

A system and method for enabling a management system to communicate witha network gateway device to automatically bill a computer operator foraccess to a computer network, such as a local network. The systemincludes a computer, and a network gateway device in communication withthe computer for connecting the computer to a computer network, whereinthe network gateway device maintains data representative of the computeroperator's access to the computer network and wherein the networkgateway device reconfigures the data. The system also includes amanagement system connected to said network gateway device forautomatically billing the computer operator based upon usage of thecomputer network, wherein the management system is configured tocommunicate according to at least one predetermined protocol. Thenetwork gateway device reconfigures the data to meet one of thepredetermined protocols supported by the management system, and themanagement system receives the data reconfigured by the network gatewaydevice and utilizes the data reconfigured by the network gateway devicefor automatic billing purposes. The method for enabling a managementsystem to communicate with a network gateway device to automaticallybill a customer for network access includes allowing a computer operatorto access a computer network via a network gateway device, collectingdata corresponding to a customer's local network access in the networkgateway device, storing the data in the network gateway device,reconfiguring the data to a predetermined data format received from amanagement system, and transmitting the reconfigured data to themanagement system.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly, the computer must beappropriately configured. Among other things, this configuration processestablishes the protocol and other parameters by which the computertransmits and receives data. In one common example, a plurality ofcomputers is networked to create a local area network (LAN). In the LAN,each computer must be appropriately configured in order to exchange dataover the network. Since most networks are customized to meet a uniqueset of requirements, computers that are part of different networks aregenerally configured in different manners in order to appropriatelycommunicate with their respective networks

While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network fora substantial period of time, laptops or other portable computers arespecifically designed to be transportable. As such, portable computersare connected to different networks at different times depending uponthe location of the computer. In a common example in which the portablecomputer serves as an employee's desktop computer, the portable computeris configured to communicate with their employer's network, i.e., theenterprise network. When the employee travels, however, the portablecomputer may be connected to different networks that communicate indifferent manners. In this regard, the employee may connect the portablecomputer to the network maintained by an airport or by a hotel in orderto access the enterprise network, the internet or some other on-lineservice. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user each time that the portablecomputer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, thisrepeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite timeconsuming, but is also prone to errors.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, a universal subscriber gateway has beendeveloped by Nomadix, Inc. of Santa Monica, Calif. The contents of bothof these applications are incorporated herein by reference. The gatewaydevice serves as a gateway to a number of networks or other onlineservices. For example, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to theinternet, the enterprise network, or other on-line services. In additionto serving as a gateway, the gateway device automatically configures acomputer to communicate with the new network in a manner that istransparent to the user. In this regard, the gateway device willdownload the necessary protocols and other parameters to the computerwithout any intervention by the operator and without loading anyadditional software on the computer.

Because high speed access to enterprise networks, the internet andon-line services is a desirable commodity, like long distance telephoneservice, costs associated with the service are typically passed on tothe remote user/subscriber. Therefore, in many instances the remoteuser/subscriber is concerned with being able to acquire network accessand service in the most cost efficient and convenient manner. In thisregard, subscriber remote service concerns parallel those concerns ofcustomers utilizing internet service providers for conventionaltelephone line dial-up internet access. In both cases, computeroperators typically want inexpensive, flexible and customer friendlyservice options. Correspondingly, the gateway device administratordesires the capability to be able to offer the user/subscriber numerousand different service and billing rate options, like those available inconventional dial-up internet access. For example, the remote user in ahotel environment may desire a subscription for only a day, or for theduration of their stay at the hotel. The user/subscriber may be chargedon an hourly rate, a daily rate, a weekly rate, or at any otherinterval. Such flexible plans offer cost savings to consumers and are anattractive incentive to lure customers into buying access time to theenterprise network, online services or the internet.

Unlike conventional dial-up internet access, however, gateway devicespermit remote users to access various computer networks and on-lineservices without having a prior service contract or an ongoingrelationship with the service provider. Therefore, unlike conventionaldial up access plans, which can bill subscribers on a set monthlyschedule, gateway devices make recouping remote access charges morechallenging. This is especially true for nomadic users, who may utilizea remote connection to a network only once before relocating. Once thetraveler has moved onward, the network provider may have difficulty incollecting any unpaid service charges. Furthermore, billing of nomadicusers is another hurdle to fast and easy access to the enterprisenetwork, on-line services and the internet. The benefits of remote plugand play access therefore may be overshadowed by time consuming paymentmethods. For example, where a computer operator is required to completean onerous billing procedure to pre-purchase local network time or topay for the network use after each session, the computer operator maydecide not to use the network.

Thus, any convenience provided by the computer network is superseded bythe inconvenient billing method. Gateway device administrators alsodesire convenient methods in which to bill users/subscribers. Becausethe gateway device enables subscribers immediate plug and playconnections to computer networks, such as hotel or airport networks, thecomputer network provider and/or service provider of the high speednetwork would like to quickly and immediately bill theusers/subscribers. This billing should be able to easily track auser/subscriber's usage of the network so as to recoup costs for thenetwork hardware and network connection. Furthermore, such billingshould be automated such that system administrators do not need toindividually bill each remote user.

Therefore, it is desirable for customers, network providers and serviceproviders to implement automatic billing through the computer network sothat users may be billed automatically. Such automatic billing of remoteand nomadic users would benefit customers by facilitating fast and easyaccess, and also would benefit network providers who could appropriatelycharge customers for obtaining remote access.

Summary

The present invention relates generally to a network gateway device and,more particularly, to network gateway devices communicating withmanagement systems, such as hotel property management systems, tofacilitate subscriber management. The connection of the users to thesystem can be transparent for billing purposes, although the computernetwork may also provide services to the users through the managementsystem.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a systemfor enabling a management system to communicate with a network gatewaydevice on order to automatically bill a computer operator for access toa computer network such as a local network. The system includes acomputer, and a network gateway device in communication with thecomputer for connecting the computer to a computer network and formaintaining data representative of the computer operator's access to thecomputer network. The system also includes a management system connectedto the network gateway device that is designed to automatically bill thecomputer operator based upon their access to the computer network. Themanagement system is also designed to communicate with a third partydevice according to at least one predetermined protocol. According tothe present invention, the gateway device is therefore designed tosupply billing data using one of the predetermined protocols supportedby the management system. As such, the management system receives thebilling data supplied by the network gateway device and utilizes thedata for automatic billing purposes.

Furthermore, in the system for enabling a management system tocommunicate with a network gateway device to automatically bill acomputer operator for access to a computer network, the managementsystem can be located within the computer network. Additionally, thesystem can include a translator in communication with the gateway deviceand management system for receiving the data supplied by the networkgateway device. The translator can further reconfigured the suppliedbilling data received from the network gateway device, and can transmitthe further reconfigured data to the management system. The datarepresentative of the computer operator's access to the computer networkcan include data representative of the computer operator's location,access time, date which access was obtained, billing rate, and otherpertinent information.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a method for enablinga management system to communicate with a network gateway device inorder to automatically bill a customer for access to a computer network,such as a local network, is provided. The method comprises allowing anetwork administrator to access a computer network via a network gatewaydevice, and collecting data corresponding to a customer's local networkaccess in the network gateway device. Furthermore, the method of thepresent invention comprises storing the data in the network gatewaydevice, reconfiguring the data to one of the predetermined data formatswhich may be received by a management system, and transmitting thereconfigured data to the management system.

The ability to bill customers for service automatically and trackcustomers without system intervention allows the local network serviceprovisioning to be done economically and efficiently. This inventionprovides an incentive for hotels, airports, and other computer networksto provide network connections to users because the computer network hasa captive customer base. Furthermore, automatic billing can enableusage-based billing for network access and services, which is desirableto customers. Finally, automatic billing can reduce the risk of networkuse by an unauthorized user.

Description

Referring now to FIG. 36, the computer system 10 that includes a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer system 10typically includes a plurality of computers 14 that access a computernetwork in order to gain access to networks 20 or other online services22. For example, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports that arelocated in different rooms of a hotel or a multi-dwelling unit.Alternatively, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports in an airport,an arena, or the like. The gateway device 12 provides an interfacebetween the plurality of computers 14 and the various networks 20 orother online services 22.

Most commonly, the gateway device 12 is located near the computers 14 ata relatively low position in the overall network (i.e., the gateway willbe located within the hotel, multi-unit residence, airport, etc.).However, the gateway device 12 can be located at a higher position inthe system by being located closer to the various networks 20 or otheronline services 22, if so desired. Although the gateway device 12 can bephysically embodied in many different fashions, the gateway device 12typically includes a controller and a memory device in which software isstored that defines the operational characteristics of the gatewaydevice 12. Alternatively, the gateway device 12 can be embedded withinanother network device, such as an access controller 16 or a router 18.Moreover, the software that defines the functioning of the gatewaydevice 12 can be stored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into acomputer of the plurality of computers 14 in order to automaticallyreconfigure the computer to communicate with a different computersystem, such as the networks 20 and online services 22.

The computer system 10 typically includes an access controller 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device 12. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers 14 are connected to the access controller, the accesscontroller 16 can be configured in different manners. For example, theaccess controller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM)for signals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable head endfor signals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless access point(WAP) for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a CMPS, a switchor the like. As also shown in FIG. 36, the computer system 10 typicallyincludes one or more routers 18 and/or servers (not shown in FIG. 36) ofa plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services 22. Whilethe computer system 10 is depicted to have a single router, the computersystem 10 can have a plurality of routers, switches, bridges, or thelike that are arranged in some hierarchical fashion in order toappropriately route traffic to and from the various networks 20 or otheronline services 22. In this regard, the gateway device 12 typicallyestablishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, in turn,establish links with the servers of other networks or other onlineservice providers, such as internet service providers, based upon thesubscriber's selection. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skillin the art that one or more devices illustrated in FIG. 36 may becombinable. For example, although not shown, the router 18 may belocated entirely within the gateway device 12.

The gateway device 12 is specifically designed to allow computers to logonto the computer network in a manner that is transparent to thesubscriber In the typical computer network that employs dynamic hostconfiguration protocol (DHCP) service, the DHCP server 24 will initiallyassign an IP address to a computer that is logging onto the computernetwork. Upon opening their web browser or otherwise attempting toaccess an on-line service, the gateway device 12 will direct thesubscriber to enter their ID and password. The gateway device 12 thendetermines if the subscriber is entitled to access the computer system,the level of access and/or the type of services to which the subscriberis entitled according to an authentication, authorization and accountingprocedure that is described by U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/816,174 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/111,497. Assumingthat the subscriber has been authenticated and has authorization, thegateway device 12 typically presents new subscribers with a home page orcontrol panel that identifies, among other things, the online servicesor other computer networks that are accessible via the gateway device12. In addition, the home page presented by the gateway device 12 canprovide information regarding the current parameters or settings thatwill govern the access provided to the particular subscriber. As such,the operator can readily alter the parameters or other settings in orderto tailor the service according to their particular application.Typically, changes in the parameters or other settings that willpotentially utilize additional resources of the computer system willcome at a cost, such that the gateway device 12 will charge thesubscriber a higher rate for their service. For example, a subscribermay elect to increase the transfer rate at which signals are transmittedacross the computer network and pay a correspondingly higher price forthe expedited service.

The home page also permits the subscriber to select the computer network20 or other online service 22 that the subscriber wishes to access. Forexample, the subscriber can access the enterprise network on which thecomputer is typically resident. Alternatively, the subscriber can accessthe internet or other on-line services. Once the subscriber elects toaccess a computer network or other online service, the gateway device 12establishes the appropriate links via one or more routers 18 to thedesired computer network or online service.

Thereafter, the subscriber can communicate freely with the desiredcomputer network 20 or other online service 22. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 14 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to the subscriber. In thisregard, for outbound traffic from the computer 12 to the computernetwork or other on-line service, the gateway device 12 changes thecontent of the packet, such as the source address, checksum, andapplication specific parameters, such that all outgoing packets will bedirected back to the gateway device 12 rather than to the computer. Incontrast, the inbound traffic from the computer network or other onlineservice that arrives at the gateway device 12, which is really intendedfor the computer, is passed through the translation function so thepackets eventually delivered to the computer appear to have been sentdirectly to the computer. As such, the computer will be completelyunaware of the translation being performed by the gateway device.Additional information regarding the translation function is provided byU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,714. By utilizing the gatewaydevice 12 to communicate with the computer network or other onlineservice, however, the subscriber will never have had to configure theircomputer 12 since the gateway device automatically adopts the computerin a manner that is transparent to the subscriber.

FIG. 38 shows a block diagram of the computer system 10 of FIG. 36,implemented in a hotel computer system 50, according to one embodimentof the present invention. It will be appreciated by those of skill inthe art that the embodiment shown in FIG. 38 is for illustrativepurposes, and that the computer system 10 may be implemented withrespect to computer networks established in airports, arenas, apartmentcomplexes, office buildings or the like. The hotel computer system 50 isessentially identical to the computer system 10 shown in FIG. 38, exceptthat the gateway device 12 is also connected to a property managementsystem 56. The gateway device 12 may be connected to the propertymanagement system 56 through a translator 53, which is illustrated withphantom lines because the translator 53 is an optional component in thehotel computer system 50, as will be explained in detail below. Becausethe hotel computer system 50 comprises similar components to the systemillustrated in FIG. 36, it will be appreciated that the systems can beimplemented in like manners with like components. Furthermore,additional embodiments of the present invention discussed with respectto FIG. 36 may be implemented in the system 50 shown in FIG. 38.

As shown in FIG. 38, each of the plurality of computers 14 is located ina different hotel room 60, 70, 80 and 90 to allow multiple guests toaccess the hotel's computer network. The computers 14 are connected tothe access controller 16 through a communications port in each roomusing a communications device such as a DSL modem, an ethernet card, acoaxial cable, or another well known communication device. Mostpreferably, the connection between the computers 14 and the accesscontroller 16 is a high speed connection, so that the computers 14 canreceive data as fast as the gateway device 12 can forward the data. Thedata transmitted from the gateway device 12 to the computers mayoriginate from any devices located within the computer network or anydevices in communication with the computer network, such as theinternet. As with any multiple link communication system, the rate atwhich data is received by the computers 14 will be no higher than theslowest baud rate over any link in the system.

The gateway device 50 is in direct communication with the managementsystem 56. Management systems may include any well known computer basedsystems implemented in hotels, airports, arenas or other venues tomanage operations. In the embodiment of FIG. 38, the management systemis a property management system located within a hotel. Typical hotelproperty management systems automate operations such as roomreservations, room assignments, guest check-in and check-out, and otherfront desk activities. Furthermore, typical hotel property managementsystems can maintain a log of telephone calls and telephone charges foreach guest room, and can be in communication with the internet tofacilitate on-line reservations. Such management systems are typicallyimplemented through the use of one or more conventional computers thatare interconnected to form a network. The management system 56 shown inFIG. 38 is illustrative of one such system. As will be appreciated bythose of skill in the art, the management system can be located within,and in direct communication with, the computer network.

In the embodiment of FIG. 38, the gateway device 50 is in communicationwith the property management system 56 such that each user/subscriber'saccess and connection to the hotel network via the gateway device 12 canbe easily monitored by the property management system 56. Preferably,the gateway device 12 is connected to the property management system 56through a serial port interface. The connection may operate at a varietyof baud rates, although 2400 or 9600 bits per second are typical. Themain purpose for the connection is to allow the hotel to bill eachspecific user/subscriber for their use and connection to the hotel'snetwork, and to automatically bill such use directly to the room fromwhich access was obtained. The property management system 56 can monitorand record information such as the identity of the user, the room fromwhich the user obtained access, the amount of time that the userutilized the network, the cost of each network access, the time, dateand duration of the network access, and other additional information. Asa result, the present invention offers user/subscribers of a computernetwork convenient payment plans in which a user does not have topre-pay for network access or physically pay each time the network isaccessed.

As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the informationpassed from the gateway device 12 can be, in most respects, identical toinformation received by the property management system 56 from a privatebranch telephone system (PBX), which are commonly utilized in hotels.PBX systems allow room to room, local and long distance telephone callsto be made by guests, and are typically connected to hotel propertymanagement systems to facilitate billing of hotel guests based upon theroom in which the call is made. Charges for such use can then be paid bythe guest upon checkout, automatically billed to the guest's credit cardor automatically billed to the guest with room charges.

As can be appreciated with reference to FIG. 38, the property managementsystem 56 can be in communication with additional devices other than thecomputer gateway system 10 of the present invention. As noted above, theproperty management system 56 can be directly connected to a PBX, whichis, in turn, connected to each telephone located in every hotel room.Additionally, although not illustrated, the property management system56 can be connected to additional third party components, such as payper view television, credit card authorization systems and point of salesystems. These connections may be through serial ports, modemcommunications, or through other well known communication means. Suchconnections allow the management system to function as a fullyintegrated system, which allows customers to use a variety of hotelresources, while transparently being billed for each transaction.

Through the property management systems, a user/subscriber's account maybe billed directly to that user's hotel bill. For example, where themanagement system receives data representing a computer operator'saccess to the local system, the management system can automatically billthe operator through the use of a credit card authorization system incommunication with the property management system. In this manner, thecustomer's payment can be fast, easy, automated and transparent to theuser.

Traditional hotel property management systems are configured tocommunicate with various third party systems, such as point of salesystems, PBX systems, pay per view systems, and credit cardauthorization servers, as noted above. Hotel property management systemsare generally configured to receive such communications because thesethird party systems are typically used in the vast majority of hotels.To receive data from each of these third party systems, managementsystems typically include software for communicating with the thirdparty systems based upon the data protocol and data structureimplemented by the management system. The software allows data fromthird party systems to be received and reconfigured, if necessary, sothat the data is in a format appropriate to be utilized by themanagement system 56. However, because typical management systems thatare currently deployed are not designed to receive data from a gatewaydevice 12, the gateway device 12 is preferably designed to interfacewith the management system 56 without requiring additional programmingof the management system software.

The gateway device 12 of the present invention formats data such thatthe data has the same data protocol and data structure as that of athird party service, such as a PBX, that the management system 56 isalready designed to receive. The management system 56 is adapted tocommunicate using different protocols, through technology known as COMobjects. Thus, the gateway device 12 can masquerade as a PBX or anotherthird party system. The gateway device 12 receives a data recordcorresponding to an individual user/subscriber's use of the computersystem, including the user/subscriber's location (room number), accesstime, and additional information, as discussed above. The gateway device12 stores this information and modifies the data record to fit theproper format required by the property management system vendor.Although the format of the data is changed, no data is changed in themodification. The reconfigured data is then transmitted to themanagement system 56. This data can be in a call accounting record (CAR)and low level protocol (LLC) format, data formats typical of third partysystems such as PBXs. Such formats are well known to those of skill inthe art of property management system design.

Because management systems can differ, each system utilizing differentuser interfaces, variables, and operating systems, the gateway deviceshould communicate data to the property management system 56 using dataformats acceptable to a large number of management systems. In thismanner, the gateway device 12 may be compatible with a majority ofproperty management systems. For example, the gateway device 12 may bepreconfigured to operate with the most popular management systems andformats, such as Micros Fidelio (manufactured by MICROS Systems, Inc.,Beltsville, Md.), HOBIC, AutoClerk (manufactured by AutoClerk, Inc.,Lafayette, Calif.), and other well known systems and formats.

However, there are many different management system standards, none ofwhich are universal and implemented in all property management systems.As a result, although the gateway device 12 can configure data toconform to a large number of differing management systems, the gatewaydevice 12 may not be able to conform to some systems. As a result, atranslator 53 may be optionally used to manipulate the data output bythe gateway device 12 in such a manner as to allow the data to beutilized by the property management system 56. In one embodiment, thetranslator may comprise a Lodging Link II device (LL) (manufactured byProtocol Technologies, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz.) to convert incoming datafrom the gateway device 12 to data acceptable to the property managementsystem device, such as UHALL protocol. Additionally, the translator mayalso be connected to one or more devices or systems in communicationwith the property management system, such as the pay per view system orcredit card authorization system, to format data output by any system orcomponent having data protocols which differ from those of themanagement system 56.

Because data may be transferred to the management system in a CARformat, data typically within such format must be altered to accuratelyreflect the computer network service being provided to theuser/subscriber. For example, in PBX systems, CAR format usuallyincludes the phone number to which a telephone call is being made.However, when a user/subscriber is obtaining access to the hotel networkvia the gateway device 12, no telephone number is dialed or called.Therefore, when possible, data within the CAR format (i.e., telephonerecord), such as telephone numbers, may be replaced with a descriptiverecord that indicates some other data that the property managementsystems wish to track or record. On the other hand, where the CARrecords cannot be replaced, a bogus field, such as a bogus telephonenumber, may be included so that the property management system receivesthe entire record it is programmed to receive. Thereafter, the bogusnumber is not utilized by the management system 56. Additional problemsmay also exist, for example, where the management system 56 is notdevised to support the non-numeric ASCII characters typicallytransmitted by the gateway device 12. In this situation, the gatewaydevice can be configured to replace the ASCII characters with numeraldesignations.

Once the data transmitted by the gateway device is received by theproperty management system 56, the property management system candisplay the data using a management system interface. Preferably, thedata may be displayed in an easily readable and printable form to allowa user/subscriber to view a summary of access information. Additionally,the data should be accessible to the user/subscriber's accountingrecord. In this manner, charges due to network access may beautomatically placed on a customer's pre-existing bill, such as a hotelbill. Where access is obtained at another location, such as at anairport, the airport system manager (i.e., equivalent to the hotelproperty management system in the above example) may automatically billthe customer, can automatically charge the customer's credit card, orcan add the charges to an account which the customer maintains. In thisregard, while the property management system 56 has primarily beendescribed in conjunction with a hotel computer network, the propertymanagement system can be utilized in a variety of other applications inwhich a user/subscriber obtains access to a computer network or otheron-line service via a gateway device.

Location-Based Identification and Authorization for Use with a GatewayDevice

A method and apparatus for implementing location-based identificationand authorization in a computer network having a gateway device. In oneembodiment of the present invention a method for implementinglocation-based identification and authorization in a computer networkcomprises establishing a network connection between a host and anetwork, sending out network packets from the host through a port,receiving the network packets at an access controller, tagging thenetwork packets at the access controller with a port identifier thatcorresponds to a media access control (MAC) address, receiving thetagged network packet at a gateway device; and incorporating the portidentifier into a database in communication with the gateway device. Inone embodiment of the invention the access controller and the gatewaydevice communicate port numbers by assigning VLAN (Virtual Local AreaNetwork) identifiers to the ports. In another embodiment of the presentinvention a method for implementing location-based identification andauthorization in a computer network includes establishing a networkconnection between a host and a network, sending out network packetsfrom the host through a port, receiving the network packets at a gatewaydevice, sending a port identifying query to an access controller inresponse to receiving the network packets, receiving the portidentifying query at an access controller, sending a port identifyingresponse query back to the gateway device, and incorporating a portidentifier into a database in communication with the gateway device. Inone embodiment of the invention the gateway device and the accesscontroller have corresponding agents configured to send and respond toqueries. For example the gateway device and access controller mayincorporate an SNMP agent to communicate via queries. In anotherembodiment of the invention a gateway apparatus is defined that iscapable of communicating with an access controller to determine the portidentity corresponding to the received MAC address. The gateway deviceis then able to use the location-based identities to structure billingschemes and manage the overall network that the service provider hasestablished.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment,the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, thisconfiguration process establishes the protocol and other parameters bywhich the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, aplurality of computers are networked to create a local area network(LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured inorder to exchange data over the network. Since most networks arecustomized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are partof different networks are generally configured in different manners inorder to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.

While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network fora substantial period of time, laptops, handhelds, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), cellphones or other portable computers (collectively“portable computers”) are specifically designed to be transportable. Assuch, portable computers are connected to different networks atdifferent times depending upon the location of the computer. In a commonexample in which the portable computer serves as an employee's desktopcomputer, the portable computer is configured to communicate with theiremployer's network, i.e., the enterprise network. When the employeetravels, however, the portable computer may be connected to differentnetworks that communicate in different manners. In this regard, theemployee may connect the portable computer to the network maintained byan airport, a hotel, a cellular telephone network operator or any otherlocale in order to access the enterprise network, the Internet or someother on-line service. The portable computer is also commonly brought tothe employee's residence where it is used to access various networks,such as, the enterprise network, a home network, the Internet and thelike. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user each time that the portablecomputer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, thisrepeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite timeconsuming, but is also prone to errors. The reconfiguration proceduremay even be beyond the capabilities of many users or in violation oftheir employer's IT policy.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, a universal subscriber gateway devicehas been developed by Nomadix, L.L.C. of Westlake Village, Calif. Thecontents of both of these applications are expressly incorporated hereinby reference. The gateway device serves as an interface connecting theuser/subscriber to a number of networks or other online services. Forexample, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, theenterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. Inaddition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automaticallyadapts to a computer, in order that it may communicate with the newnetwork in a manner that is transparent both to the user/subscriber andthe new network. Once the gateway device has appropriately adapted tothe user's computer, the computer can appropriately communicate via thenew network, such as the network at a hotel, at home, at an airport, orany other location, in order to access other networks, such as theenterprise network, or other online services, such as the internet.

The portable computer user/subscriber, and more specifically the remoteor laptop user, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computernetworks without having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-oftendaunting task of reconfiguring their host in accordance with networkspecific configurations. From another perspective, the network serviceprovider benefits from avoiding “on-site” visits and/or technicalsupport calls from the user who is unable to properly re-configure theportable computer. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable ofproviding more efficient network access and network maintenance to theuser/subscriber and the network operator.

Gateway devices are typically used to provide network access to theremote portable computer user, such as users in hotels, airports andother locations where the remote portable computer user may reside.Additionally, gateway devices have found wide-spread use inmulti-resident dwellings as a means of providing the residents anintranet that networks the residents, broadband Internet access and thecapability to adapt to the variances of the resident's individualenterprise network needs. With the advent of even smaller portablecomputing devices, such as handhelds, PDAs, and the like, the locationswhere these users may reside becomes almost limitless. Someday we canenvision wireless communications technology providing the capability tooffer networking to airplane passengers and granting access to thenetwork environment through gateway devices.

In most of the remote user applications and the multi-resident dwellingapplications, the gateway administrator (i.e. the network serviceprovider) is not so much concerned with “who” the user/subscriber is,but rather, “where” the user resides or is located. Location basedinformation is imperative to the network service provider who desires tomanage and bill subscribers based on where they are physically locatedrather than who they are or what host they may choose to use. Forexample, in the hotel scenario, the network service provider is moreconcerned with knowing that Room 301 has a seven day networksubscription than knowing who the individual users are that are residingin Room 301. In this manner, the gateway administrator is able toprovide Room 301, as opposed to individual residents in Room 310, withan identifier and an authenticator. The gateway administrator or networkprovider relies on this information for ensuring accurate subscriberbilling. Additionally, the gateway administrator may benefit fromlocation-based identification and authorization in the area of networkmanagement. For instance, by classifying within the network databasesaccording to location the gateway device is able to provide networkoptions to subscribers based upon where they are located. By way ofexample, if the gateway device has “learned” through locationidentification that Room 301 is a suite, thereby affording its customersadditional service privileges, the gateway device can provide theseadditional service privileges without the need to query theuser/subscriber regarding suite status. The same type of locationclassification can be beneficial in the multiple-resident dwellingexample (i.e. a specially classified building or wing), in the airportexample (i.e. a specially designated network port area for first classtravelers) or in any other network application that uses a gatewaydevice to provide network access and network adaptation.

Summary

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for implementinglocation-based identification and authorization in a computer networkhaving a gateway device.

In one embodiment of the present invention a method for implementinglocation-based identification and authorization in a computer networkcomprises establishing a network connection between a host and anetwork, sending out network packets from the host through a port,receiving the network packets at an access controller, tagging thenetwork packets at the access controller with a port identifier thatcorresponds to a media access control (MAC) address, receiving thetagged network packet at a gateway device; and incorporating the portidentifier into a database in communication with the gateway device. Inone embodiment of the invention the access controller and the gatewaydevice tag and communicate port numbers by assigning VLAN (Virtual LocalArea Network) identifiers to the ports.

In another embodiment of the present invention a method for implementinglocation-based identification and authorization in a computer networkincludes establishing a network connection between a host and a network,sending out network packets from the host through a port, receiving thenetwork packets at a gateway device, sending a port identifying query toan access controller in response to receiving the network packets,receiving the port identifying query at an access controller, sending aport identifying response query back to the gateway device, andincorporating a port identifier into a database in communication withthe gateway device. In one embodiment of the invention the gatewaydevice and the access controller have corresponding agents configured tosend and respond to queries. For example the gateway device and accesscontroller may incorporate an SNMP agent to communicate via queries.

In another embodiment of the invention a gateway apparatus is definedthat is capable of communicating with an access controller to determinethe port identity corresponding to the received MAC address. The gatewaydevice is then able to use the location-based identities to structurebilling schemes and manage the overall network that the service providerhas established.

Disclosure

Referring now to FIG. 16, the computer system 10 that includes a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer systemtypically includes a plurality of computers 14 that access the computernetwork in order to gain access to other networks or other onlineservices. For example, the computers can be plugged into ports that arelocated in different rooms of a hotel or a multi-dwelling residence.Alternatively, the computers can be plugged into ports in an airport, anarena, or the like. The computer system also includes a gateway devicethat provides an interface between the plurality of computers and thevarious networks or other online services. Most commonly, the gatewaydevice is located near the computers at a relatively low position in thestructure of the overall network. (i.e. the gateway device will belocated within the hotel, multi-unit residence, airport, etc.) However,the gateway device can be located at a higher position in the overallnetwork structure such as at a Point of Presence (PoP) or a NetworkOperating Center (NOC), if so desired. Although the gateway device canbe physically embodied in many different fashions, the gateway devicetypically includes a controller and a memory device in which software isstored that defines the operational characteristics of the gatewaydevice. Alternatively, the gateway device can be embedded within anothernetwork device, such as the access controller or a router, or thesoftware that defines the functioning of the gateway device can bestored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into the computer in orderto automatically reconfigure the computer to communicate with adifferent computer system.

The computer system 10 also typically includes an access controller 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers are connected to the access controller, the access controllercan be configured in different manners. For example, the accesscontroller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) forsignals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable head end forsignals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless access point (WAP)for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a cable modemtermination system (CMTS), a switch or the like. As also shown in FIG.16, the computer system typically includes one or more routers 18 and/orservers (not shown in FIG. 16) in communication with a plurality ofcomputer networks 20 or other online service 22. While the computersystem is depicted to have a single router, the computer system willtypically have a plurality of routers, switches, bridges, or the likethat are arranged in some hierarchical fashion in order to appropriatelyroute traffic to and from the various networks or other online services.In this regard, the gateway device typically establishes a link with oneor more routers. The routers, in turn, establish links with the serversof other networks or other online service providers, such as internetservice providers, based upon the subscriber's selection.

The gateway device 12 is specifically designed to adapt to theconfiguration of each of the computers 14 that log onto the computernetwork 10 in a manner that is transparent to the subscriber and thecomputer network. In the typical computer network that employs dynamichost configuration protocol (DHCP) service, an IP address is assigned tothe computer that is logging onto the computer network throughcommunication with the gateway device. The DHCP service can be providedby an external DHCP server 24 or it can be provided by an internal DHCPserver located within the gateway device. Upon opening their web browseror otherwise attempting to access an on-line service, the gateway devicewill direct the subscriber to enter some form of an identifier such astheir ID and password. In an alternate embodiment of the device, it isanticipated that the gateway device will be able to automatically detectthis information upon connection of the computer to the network or anyattempt to log in. The gateway device then determines if the subscriberis entitled to access the computer system, the level of access and/orthe type of services to which the subscriber is entitled according to anAuthentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) procedure that isdescribed by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/111,497. An AAA server, which is adatabase of subscriber records, may be remote to the gateway device orthe AAA database may be incorporated into the physical embodimenthousing the gateway device. Assuming that the subscriber has beenauthenticated and has authorization, the gateway device typicallypresents new subscribers with a home page or control panel thatidentifies, among other things, the online services or other computernetworks that are accessible via the gateway device. In addition, thehome page presented by the gateway device can provide informationregarding the current parameters or settings that will govern the accessprovided to the particular subscriber. As such, the gatewayadministrator can readily alter the parameters or other settings inorder to tailor the service according to their particular application.Typically, changes in the parameters or other settings that willpotentially utilize additional resources of the computer system willcome at a cost, such that the gateway administrator will charge thesubscriber a higher rate for their service. For example, a subscribermay elect to increase the transfer rate at which signals are transmittedacross the computer network and pay a correspondingly higher price forthe expedited service.

The home page also permits the subscriber to select the computer network20 or other online services 22 that the subscriber wishes to access. Forexample, the subscriber can access the enterprise network on which thecomputer is typically resident. Alternatively, the subscriber can accessthe internet or other on-line services. Once the subscriber elects toaccess a computer network or other online service, the gateway deviceestablishes an appropriate links via one or more routers 18 to thedesired computer network or online service.

Thereafter, the subscriber can communicate freely with the desiredcomputer network 20 or other online service 22. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 12 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to the user/subscriber and thenetwork. In this regard, for outbound traffic from the computer 12 tothe computer network or other on-line service, the gateway devicechanges attributes within the packet coming from the user/subscriber,such as the source address, checksum, and application specificparameters, to meet the criteria of the network to which theuser/subscriber has accessed. In addition, the outgoing packet includesan attribute that will direct all incoming packets from the accessednetwork to be routed through the gateway device. In contrast, theinbound traffic from the computer network or other online service thatis routed through the gateway device, undergoes a translation functionat the gateway device so that the packets are properly formatted for theuser/subscriber's host computer. In this manner, the packet translationprocess that takes place at the gateway device is transparent to thehost, which appears to send and receive data directly from the accessedcomputer network. Additional information regarding the translationfunction is provided by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,714. Byimplementing the gateway device as an interface between theuser/subscriber and the computer network or other online service,however, the user/subscriber will eliminate the need to re-configuretheir computer 12 upon accessing subsequent networks.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the gateway deviceimplements location-based identification and authorization. Locationbased identification and authorization allows the gateway device togrant network access to a specific location (e.g. a hotel room, aspecific apartment address, etc.) rather than a specific user or hostresiding at the location. Basing identification and authorization onlocation, as opposed to user or host, allows the gateway administrator(i.e. network service provider) to manage the network according to userlocations and to provide for a billing scheme according to userlocations. For an example of a network management system that utilizeslocation based management in a gateway device environment see U.S. Prov.Pat. App. No. 60/160,973 entitled “Systems and Methods for EnablingNetwork Gateway Devices to Communicate with Management Systems toFacilitate Subscriber Management,” incorporated elsewhere herein.

In one embodiment of the present invention location-based identificationand authorization embodies the use of VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)tagging. While VLAN is by definition, Virtual Local Area Network, in thecontext we are concerned with VLAN is the IEEE-standard protocol 802.1 Qused to implement VLAN. VLAN technology is well known in the art and hasbeen used to create virtual networks by employing VLAN processorsbetween network interfaces to logically bridge networks together. VLANworks on the concept of tracking ports by tagging the IP packet with anidentifier. By using VLAN technology, the gateway device can provisionsubscriber access to the network on a localized port basis. For example,in a multi-resident dwelling environment, a network service provider maywant to provision Internet access to individual units or apartments;each unit is assigned a VLAN ID (a port-location tag). In this example,a resident within the unit can choose to subscribe to the service andthe gateway device will then allow Internet access from the resident'sunit, regardless of which host or who the user is within the unit.Typically, hosts are granted network access via a MAC (Media AccessControl) address that connects the device to a shared network medium.The use of VLAN tagging overrides the MAC address identification andauthorization process.

VLAN ports can be “tagged” at any level, for example, a specific room ina hotel or an apartment building can be assigned a tag, or a floorwithin a building, a wing within a building or the building itself maybe assigned an individual tag. Alternatively, multiple ports may betagged to a single room. The gateway device uses a port-locationauthorization table to manage the assigned ports and ensure accuratebilling for services used by a particular port.

FIG. 39 illustrates a simplified network 50 configured so as to allowfor location-based identification and authorization supported by VLANtagging. A series of portable computers/hosts 52 are located withinseparate entities. The separate entities may include apartment units,hotel rooms, airport kiosks, retail outlets or the like. The user (notshown in FIG. 39) connects to the network service provider via a port 54in the room. A modem (not shown in FIG. 16), either internal within thehosts or external, may be required to provide access to the networkservice provider. The medium used to establish the connection mayinclude standard telephone dial-in, cable, CAT5 high quality cable, DSL(Digital Switch Line), wireless or any other applicable connectionmedium.

Once the host establishes connections it begins sending out standardEthernet IP (Internet Protocol) packets. An access concentrator 56initially receives the ETHERNET IP packets. The access concentratorserves as a switch that multiplexes signals received from numerous portsand sends them out one output port. Depending upon the medium by whichthe hosts are networked to the access controller, the access controllercan be configured in different manners. For example, the accesscontroller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) forsignals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable head end forsignals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless access point (WAP)for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a cable modemtermination system (CMTS), a switch or the like. For VLAN tagging to beimplemented the access controller must be able to support VLANtechnology. If the access controller does not support VLAN tagging thenlocation-based identification and authentication may be implemented bythe alternative SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) queryembodiment of the present invention that is discussed in detail infra.An example of an access controller that will support VLAN tagging in astandard telephone medium environment is an Expresso GS System,available from Tut Systems, Incorporated of Pleasant Hill, Calif.

In the VLAN tagging embodiment once the access controller receives theEthernet IP packet it knows what host sent it (from the MAC addressheader) but it does not know where the host is located. The accesscontroller through the use of a VLAN processor has the capability to“know” from what port each packet arrives. It then re-configures thepacket by adding a header between the Ethernet and IP packet accordingto the 802.1 Q IEEE VLAN protocol, identifying the port number and thehost. These packets are then forwarded via the single output to thegateway device 58. The gateway device removes the port information andrecords the data in a connection table. The connection table tracks portnumbers by MAC address of all incoming packets routed from the accesscontroller. Once the port number is removed the VLAN portion is strippedfrom the packet header and the packet is forwarded on to a router 60 andsubsequently the Internet 62 or another network in the system. It shouldbe noted that in this embodiment the only two devices that communicatewith the VLAN protocol are the access controller and the gateway device.The host devices are generally incapable of communicating in VLAN andthe downstream network components (routers, switches, bridges, etc.) areinconsequential in this regard.

FIG. 40 is a block diagram that illustrates a network configurationusing DSL as the communication medium and VLAN tagging as a means ofincorporating location-based identification and authorization. Thisnetworking configuration is shown by way of example, other communicationmedium, such as cable, wireless or the like, may also be used toconfigure a network using VLAN tagging to incorporate location-basedidentification. The network 80 includes hosts 82, typically portablecomputers and in this illustration conventional laptop computers. Thehosts in this example are located in individual hotel rooms, however thehosts could be located in other entities, such as apartment units,office rooms, airport kiosks or the like. The hosts access the networkvia a digital switch line (DSL) modem 84. Once a communication link isestablished the hosts send out standard Ethernet IP packets 86 tocommunicate data within the network. At the DSL modem a DSL header isattached to the packets, resulting in the DSL/Ethernet/IP packet 88. TheDSL header serves to identify the DSL modem or the port. The packets arethen routed through a connection point, shown in this example aspunchdown block 90, before they are received by an access controller 92.

In this embodiment the access controller is a DSLAM that is capable ofcommunicating in VLAN (IEEE 802.1 Q). The access controller determinesthe port from which the packet was sent and assigns an appropriate VLANidentification number to the packet based upon the port from which itwas sent. As shown in FIG. 41 each port, in this example each hotel roomhas a unique VLAN ID. For example, hotel room 3210 may be assigned VLANID 3210 and hotel room 1001 may be assigned VLAN ID 1001. A VLAN headeris added to the packet, resulting in the Ethernet over VLAN over IPpacket 94 shown in FIG. 40. These packets are then communicated to thegateway device 96 where the VLAN portion of the header is removed andthe VLAN ID is referenced to a specific port within a communicationstable database associated with the gateway device. In turn, the gatewaydevice may use this location-based identification and authorization fornetwork management purposes, such as the Hotel PMS system 98 shown inFIG. 40. After the gateway device has logged the port relatedinformation the packets are communicated forward to other networks, suchas the Internet 100. In this instance the packets are communicated asstandard IP packets 102.

It should be noted that the gateway device will require configurationupon initial installation to accommodate location-based identificationand authorization. If VLAN tagging is to be the basis for location-basedidentification the gateway device must be configured to allow for thiscommunication to occur. A gateway administrator will need to configurethe gateway so that VLAN ID's are assigned to individual entities orports (i.e. room numbers, apartment units, etc.). Port locationassignments can be added, updated or deleted according to gatewayadministrator commands. Adding a port-assignment to the gateway devicedatabase may involve assigning a port number, assigning a location tothe port number and a conditional state for this port-location.Conditional states may be associated with billing schemes. For instanceport-locations may be assigned a “no charge” state, a “charge for use”state or a “blocked” state.

In another embodiment of the present invention location-basedidentification and authorization is implemented using SNMP (SimpleNetwork Management Protocol) queries. The SNMP query embodiment istypically used if the access controller does not support the VLANprotocol. FIG. 42 is a block diagram that illustrates a networkconfiguration using DSL as the communication medium and VLAN tagging asa means of incorporating location-based identification andauthorization. This networking configuration is shown by way of example,other communication medium, such as cable, wireless or the like, mayalso be used to configure a network using VLAN tagging to incorporatelocation-based identification. The network 110 includes hosts 112,typically portable computers and in this illustration conventionallaptop computers. The hosts in this example are located in individualhotel rooms, however the hosts could be located in other entities, suchas apartment units, office rooms, airport kiosks or the like. The hostsaccess the network via a digital switch line (DSL) modem 114. Once acommunication link is established the hosts send out standard EthernetIP packets 116 to communicate data within the network. At the DSL modema DSL header is attached to the packets, resulting in theDSL/Ethernet/IP packet 118. The DSL header serves to identify the DSLmodem (i.e. the port). The packets are then routed through a connectionpoint, shown in this example as punchdown block 120, before they arereceived by an access controller 122.

In this application, since the access controller does not implement VLANTagging, the packets communicated between the access controller and thegateway device 124 are standard Ethernet IP packets 126. The Ethernet IPpackets that are received by the gateway device are devoid of anyinformation related to location (i.e. ports). As shown in FIG. 43, thegateway device must be configured to send out SNMP query packets 128back to the access controller asking the controller from which port didthis packet (i.e. this MAC address) come from. The access controller,which as a minimum must have/comprise a database that ties MAC addressesto ports, is then able to reply to the query with a response that tiesthe MAC address of the packet to a port number. The access controlresponds by sending an Ethernet/SNMP packet back to the gateway deviceidentifying the port number. The gateway removes the port number andassociated MAC address from the SNMP header and tables the informationin an appropriate communications table database associated with thegateway device. In turn, the gateway device may use this location-basedidentification and authorization for network management purposes, suchas the Hotel PMS system 130 shown in FIGS. 42 and 43. Once the databasehas proper port number to Mac address mapping for any specific location,the gateway device will no longer be required to send out SNMP queriesto the access controller. In this manner, the SNMP query procedure istypically only required to be performed once for any given port. Afterthe gateway device has logged the port related information into thedatabase the packets are communicated forward to other networks, such asthe Internet 132. In this instance the packets are communicated asstandard IP packets 134.

It should be noted that in the SNMP query embodiment the gateway deviceand the access controller must be SNMP compatible. Both the gatewaydevice and the access controller must be configured with the SNMP agentto receive, send and act upon SNMP queries.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method forimplementing location-based identification and authorization in acomputer network is shown in the flow chart diagram of FIG. 44. At step200, a network connection is established between a host and a network.The communication medium that may be used to establish the connectionincludes telephone line, DSL, conventional cable, CAT5 cable, wirelessand the like. At step 210, the host sends network packets to the networkvia a connection port and at step 220 the network packets are receivedat an access controller. The access controller may comprise a digitalsubscriber line access module (DSLAM) for signals transmitted viaregular telephone lines, a cable head end for signals transmitted viacoaxial cables, a wireless access point (WAP) for signals transmittedvia a wireless network, a cable modem termination system (CMTS), aswitch or the like. The access controller will be configured with anagent that allows for port identification. For example, the accesscontroller may be configured with a VLAN agent or another similar agent.

At step 230, the access controller tags the network packet with a portidentifier that corresponds to the media access control (MAC) address.The tagging of the network packet is typically performed using VLANtechnology. Each port in the network service provider's entity isconfigured as a virtual LAN and therefore, each port has its own VLANidentifier. At step 240, the tagged packet is received at a gatewaydevice where the port identifying information is removed from the packetheader. At step 250 the port identifier is incorporated into a databasethat is in communication with the gateway device. Once thelocation-based data, in this instance the port identifier, isincorporated into the database it can be called upon for billing schemesand for use in overall network management systems.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a methodfor implementing location-based identification and authorization in acomputer network is shown in the flow chart diagram of FIG. 45. At step300, a network connection is established between a host and a network.The communication medium that may be used to establish the connectionincludes telephone line, DSL, conventional cable, CAT5 cable, wirelessand the like. At step 310, the host sends network packets to the networkvia a connection port and at step 320 the network packets are receivedat a gateway device.

The gateway device is typically configured with an agent that is capableof generating queries to other network devices. For example the gatewaydevice may be configured with a SNMP agent that is capable of generatingSNMP queries or another similar agent may be used. At step 330 thegateway device sends a port identifying query to an access controller inresponse to receiving the network packets. The access controller maycomprise a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) for signalstransmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable head end for signalstransmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless access point (WAP) forsignals transmitted via a wireless network, a cable modem terminationsystem (CMTS), a switch or the like. Characteristically, the accesscontroller will have an agent capable of responding to the queries sentby the gateway device. For example, the access controller may beconfigured with a SNMP agent that is capable of generating SNMPresponses, or another similar agent corresponding to the agent used inthe gateway device may also be used. Additionally, the access controlleris configured so as to track port identity versus MAC address ofincoming packet traffic.

At step 340, the access controller sends a port identifying responseback to the gateway device and at step 350 the port identifying isincorporated into a data base that is in communication with the gatewaydevice. Once the location-based data, in this instance the portidentifier, is incorporated into the database it can be called upon forbilling schemes and for use in overall network management systems.

The method and apparatus of the present invention provide a gatewaydevice to identify and authenticate usage based on the location asopposed to the user or the device. In this manner the gateway device canadminister billing schemes and network management (i.e. quality ofservice, billing maintenance, etc.) based upon the physical entity; thehotel room, the apartment unit, the airport kiosk, etc. where the useris located. This provides more options to the network service providerin terms of billing and network management.

Gateway Device Having an XML Interface and Associated Method

A gateway device and associated method are provided that facilitatecommunications with external devices by utilizing a uniformcommunications format. The gateway device includes a subscriberinterface for adapting to a subscriber computer that is connected to thegateway device. The subscriber interface facilitates communicationsbetween the subscriber computer and at least one network or on-lineservice without requiring the subscriber computer to be reconfigured.The gateway device also includes an XML interface for communicating withan external device via a series of XML commands and responses. The XMLcommands and responses can relate to a variety of matters, includingvarious subscriber management matters. Typically, the XML interfaceincludes a parser front end, a parser section and a building section forappropriately handling XML commands that are received by the gatewaydevice and for sending appropriate responses. The gateway device canalso include an internal web server for communicating with both the XMLinterface and the internet to thereby facilitate XML-basedcommunications between the gateway device and external devices connectedto the internet.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment,the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, thisconfiguration process establishes the protocol and other parameters bywhich the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, aplurality of computers are networked to create a local area network(LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured inorder to exchange data over the network. Since most networks arecustomized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are partof different networks are generally configured in different manners inorder to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.

While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network fora substantial period of time, laptops, handhelds, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), cellphones or other portable computers (collectively“portable computers”) are specifically designed to be transportable. Assuch, portable computers are connected to different networks atdifferent times depending upon the location of the computer. In a commonexample in which the portable computer serves as an employee's desktopcomputer, the portable computer is configured to communicate with theiremployer's network, i.e., the enterprise network. When the employeetravels, however, the portable computer may be connected to differentnetworks that communicate in different manners. In this regard, theemployee may connect the portable computer to the network maintained byan airport, a hotel, a cellular telephone network operator or any otherlocale in order to access the enterprise network, the Internet or someother on-line service. The portable computer is also commonly brought tothe employee's residence where it is used to access various networks,such as, the enterprise network, a home network, the Internet and thelike. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user each time that the portablecomputer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, thisrepeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite timeconsuming, but is also prone to errors. The reconfiguration proceduremay even be beyond the capabilities of many users or in violation oftheir employer's IT policy.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. App. No. 60/111,497, a universal subscriber gateway devicehas been developed by Nomadix, L.L.C. of Westlake Village, Calif. Thecontents of both of these applications are incorporated herein byreference. The gateway device serves as an interface connecting theuser/subscriber to a number of networks or other online services. Forexample, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, theenterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. Inaddition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automaticallyadapts to a computer, in order that it may communicate with the newnetwork in a manner that is transparent both to the user/subscriber andthe new network. Once the gateway device has appropriately adapted tothe user's computer, the computer can appropriately communicate via thenew network, such as the network at a hotel, at home, at an airport, orany other location, in order to access other networks, such as theenterprise network, or other online services, such as the internet.

The portable computer user/subscriber and, more specifically, the remoteor laptop user, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computernetworks without having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-oftendaunting task of reconfiguring their host in accordance with networkspecific configurations. From another perspective, the network serviceprovider benefits from avoiding “on-site” visits and/or technicalsupport calls from the user who is unable to properly re-configure theportable computer. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable ofproviding more efficient network access and network maintenance to theuser/subscriber and the network operator. A gateway device is alsoinstrumental in providing the user/subscriber broadband network accessthat can be tailored to the user's needs.

Gateway devices must therefore communicate with a variety of externaldevices. For example, gateway devices typically communicate with billingand content servers which present customizable billing options andcontent pages for every subscriber of the gateway device. With respectto content, billing and content servers can present different log-onscreens and pricing to a subscriber based upon the location from whichthe subscriber accesses the network. For example, a subscriber in asuite may be presented with a different log-on screen and pricingoptions than a subscriber in a regular room or a conference room.Additionally, billing and content servers can present subscribers withcustomized web content based upon the location from which the subscriberaccesses the network. For example, different fire escape route maps canbe presented to the subscriber based upon the room location from whichthe subscriber accesses the network. Additionally, guests in suites mayhave access to different web content than subscribers residing in astandard room. With respect to billing, billing and content serverstypically interface with a credit card authorization server in order toobtain credit card information and authorization regarding the varioussubscribers. Depending upon the billing arrangement of a particularsubscriber, the billing and content server can communicate directly withthe credit card authorization service in order to appropriately chargethe subscriber's credit card account for the various services that thesubscriber accesses via the gateway device. Alternatively, the billingand content server can communicate via the gateway device with aproperty management system, such as the property management system of ahotel, in order to appropriately charge the subscriber's account for thevarious services that the subscriber accesses via the gateway device.Billing and content servers can also perform other functions, such asdistributing email based upon mailing lists configured according tosubscriber-specific information. Billing and content servers can alsomaintain and update membership records, such as frequent users clubs orfrequent visitors clubs.

As briefly mentioned above, gateway devices may also communicate with amanagement system, such as the property management system maintained bya hotel or the like. The functions performed by a management systemtypically vary based upon the installation and application. For example,typical hotel property management systems automate operations such asroom reservations, room assignments, guest check-in and check-out, andother front desk activities. Furthermore, typical hotel propertymanagement systems can maintain a log of telephone calls and telephonecharges for each guest room, and can be in communication with theInternet to facilitate on-line reservations. As described in U.S. Prov.Pat. App. No. 60/170,973, entitled “Systems And Methods For EnablingNetwork Gateway Devices To Communicate With Management Systems ToFacilitate Subscriber Management,” incorporated elsewhere herein,gateway devices oftentimes communicate with property management systems,such as in instances in which the subscriber's access to variousnetworks or on-line services is to be charged to their account that isadministered by the property management system.

As will be explained in more detail hereinbelow, upon requesting accessto a particular computer system or on-line service, the gateway devicetypically determines if the subscriber is entitled to access thecomputer system, the level of access and/or the type of services towhich the subscriber is entitled according to an Authentication,Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) procedure that is described by U.S.patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No.60/111,497. An AAA server, which is a database of subscriber records,may be remote to the gateway device or the AAA database may beincorporated into the physical embodiment housing the gateway device. Assuch, in instances in which the AAA server is remote to the gatewaydevice, the gateway device must also frequently communicate with the AAAserver.

In addition to the external devices described above with which thegateway device frequently communicates, gateway devices may alsocommunicate with a wide variety of other external devices depending uponthe application. Unfortunately, communications with any of theseexternal devices may be limited due to the particular format in whichthe external devices are designed to transmit and receive information.Since the external devices are typically designed by a number ofdifferent vendors, each of which may prefer a different format forcommunications, this problem is compounded by the lack of uniformity inthe format with which the external devices communicate. In this regard,one external device may be designed to communicate according to oneformat, while another external device may be required to communicateaccording to another format. Since the subscriber gateway may berequired to communicate with a variety of different external devices,the gateway device would seemingly have to communicate with eachexternal device according to the particular format that is acceptable tothe external device. This requirement can quickly prove cumbersome tothe design, implementation and efficient operation of a gateway devicesince it will be forced to communicate according to a number ofdifferent formats. While this requirement is a current concern for theefficient utilization of gateway devices that must communicate withmultiple external devices, this concern is expected to grow as thevariety of applications in which gateway devices are employed increasesand the number of different types of external devices with which thegateway device must communicate also grows.

Summary

According to the present invention, a gateway device and associatedmethod are therefore provided that facilitate communications withexternal devices by utilizing a uniform communications format. As such,the gateway device is not required to communicate with each externaldevice according to a unique format defined by the respective externaldevice. Accordingly, the gateway device and associated method of thepresent invention improve communications between the gateway device andvarious external devices, such as a billing and content servers,property management systems, external AAA servers and the like.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a gateway device isprovided that includes a subscriber interface for adapting to asubscriber computer that is connected to the gateway device. Thesubscriber interface facilitates communications between the subscribercomputer and at least one network or on-line service without requiringthe subscriber computer to be reconfigured. According to the presentinvention, the gateway device also includes an XML interface forcommunicating with an external device via a series of XML commands andresponses. The XML commands and responses can relate to a variety ofmatters, including various subscriber management matters. Typically, theXML interface includes a parser front end, a parser section and abuilding section for appropriately handling XML commands that arereceived by the gateway device and for sending appropriate responses.The gateway device of the present invention can also include an internalweb server for communicating with both the XML interface and theinternet to thereby facilitate XML-based communications between thegateway device and external devices connected to the internet.

The present invention also provides a method for communicating betweenthe gateway device and external device via the internet. According tothis aspect of the present invention, an XML command is initiallyreceived at the gateway device from the external device, such as thebilling and content server. The XML command is then parsed, and theparsed XML command is passed to a respective application program, suchas the AAA server for performing the requested function, such as asubscriber management function. Upon completion of the requestedfunction, the application program issues a response that is received bythe gateway device and that is then included within an XML responsetransmitted from the gateway device to the external device.

As such, the gateway device and associated method of the presentinvention facilitate communications between the gateway device and avariety of external devices, such as external billing and contentservers, property management systems and external AAA servers. In thisregard, the gateway device can communicate with each of these variousexternal devices in a uniform manner via a series of XML commands andresponses, thereby dramatically reducing, if not eliminating, theinstances in which the gateway device would have to communicate with anexternal device according to the unique format established by theexternal device. As a result, the design, implementation and operationof the gateway device should be considerably simplified.

Description

Referring now to FIG. 46, the computer system 10 that includes a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer systemtypically includes a plurality of computers 14 that access the computernetwork in order to gain access to other networks or other onlineservices. For example, the computers can be plugged into ports that arelocated in different rooms of a hotel or a multi-dwelling residence.Alternatively, the computers can be plugged into ports in an airport, anarena, or the like. The computer system also includes a gateway devicethat provides an interface between the plurality of computers and thevarious networks or other online services. Most commonly, the gatewaydevice is located near the computers at a relatively low position in thestructure of the overall network. (i.e. the gateway will be locatedwithin the hotel, multi-unit residence, airport, etc.) However, thegateway device can be located at a higher position in the overallnetwork structure such as at a Point of Presence (PoP) of NetworkOperating Center (NOC), if so desired. Although the gateway device canbe physically embodied in many different fashions, the gateway devicetypically includes a controller and a memory device in which software isstored that defines the operational characteristics of the gatewaydevice. Alternatively, the gateway device can be embedded within anothernetwork device, such as the access controller or a router, or thesoftware that defines the functioning of the gateway device can bestored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into the computer in orderto automatically reconfigure the computer to communicate with adifferent computer system.

The computer system 10 also typically includes an access controller 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers are connected to the access controller, the access controllercan be configured in different manners. For example, the accesscontroller can be a digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) forsignals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cable head end forsignals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless access point (WAP)for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a cable modemtermination system (CMPS), a switch or the like. As also shown in FIG.46, the computer system typically includes one or more routers 18 and/orservers (not shown in FIG. 46) of a plurality of computer networks 20 orother online services provided by internet service providers 22 that areconnected to the gateway device via the internet. While the computersystem is depicted to have a single router, the computer system can havea plurality of routers, switches, bridges, or the like that are arrangedin some hierarchical fashion in order to appropriately route traffic toand from the various networks or other online services. In this regard,the gateway device typically establishes a link with one or morerouters. The routers, in turn, establish links with the servers of othernetworks or other online service providers, such as internet serviceproviders, based upon the subscriber's selection.

The gateway device 12 is specifically designed to adapt to theconfiguration of each of the computers 14 that log onto the computernetwork 10 in a manner that is transparent to the subscriber and thecomputer network. In the typical computer network that employs dynamichost configuration protocol (DHCP) service, an IP address is assigned tothe computer that is logging onto the computer network throughcommunication with the gateway device. The DHCP service can be providedby an external DHCP server 24 or it can be provided by an internal DHCPserver located within the gateway device. Upon opening their web browseror otherwise attempting to access an on-line service, the gateway devicewill direct the subscriber to enter some form of an identifier such astheir ID and password. In an alternate embodiment of the device, it isanticipated that the gateway device will be able to automatically detectthis information upon connection of the computer to the network or anyattempt to log in. The gateway device then determines if the subscriberis entitled to access the computer system, the level of access and/orthe type of services to which the subscriber is entitled according to anAuthentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) procedure that isdescribed by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/111,497. An AAA server, which is adatabase of subscriber records, may be remote to the gateway device orthe AAA database may be incorporated into the physical embodimenthousing the gateway device. Assuming that the subscriber has beenauthenticated and has authorization, the gateway device typicallypresents new subscribers with a home page or control panel thatidentifies, among other things, the online services or other computernetworks that are accessible via the gateway device. In addition, thehome page presented by the gateway device can provide informationregarding the current parameters or settings that will govern the accessprovided to the particular subscriber. As such, the gatewayadministrator can readily alter the parameters or other settings inorder to tailor the service according to their particular application.Typically, changes in the parameters or other settings that willpotentially utilize additional resources of the computer system willcome at a cost, such that the gateway administrator will charge thesubscriber a higher rate for their service. For example, a subscribermay elect to increase the transfer rate at which signals are transmittedacross the computer network and pay a correspondingly higher price forthe expedited service.

The home page also permits the subscriber to select the computer network20 or other online services 22 that the subscriber wishes to access. Forexample, the subscriber can access the enterprise network on which thecomputer is typically resident. Alternatively, the subscriber can accessthe internet or other on-line services. Once the subscriber elects toaccess a computer network or other online service, the gateway deviceestablishes an appropriate links via one or more routers 18 to thedesired computer network or online service.

Thereafter, the subscriber can communicate freely with the desiredcomputer network 20 or other online service 22. In order to support thiscommunication, the gateway device 12 generally performs a packettranslation function that is transparent to the user/subscriber and thenetwork. In this regard, for outbound traffic from the computer 14 tothe computer network or other on-line service, the gateway devicechanges attributes within the packet coming from the user/subscriber,such as the source address, checksum, and application specificparameters, to meet the criteria of the network to which theuser/subscriber has accessed. In addition, the outgoing packet includesan attribute that will direct all incoming packets from the accessednetwork to be routed through the gateway device. In contrast, theinbound traffic from the computer network or other online service thatis routed through the gateway device, undergoes a translation functionat the gateway device so that the packets are properly formatted for theuser/subscriber's host computer. In this manner, the packet translationprocess that takes place at the gateway device is transparent to thehost, which appears to send and receive data directly from the accessedcomputer network. Additional information regarding the translationfunction is provided by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,714. Byimplementing the gateway device as an interface between theuser/subscriber and the computer network or other online service,however, the user/subscriber will eliminate the need to re-configuretheir computer 12 upon accessing subsequent networks.

As described above, gateway devices 14 must typically communicate with avariety of external devices. For example, gateway devices typicallycommunicate with billing and content servers 26 as depicted in FIGS. 46and 47. As also described above, billing and content servers presentcustomized billing options and content pages for every subscriber of agateway device. As such, gateway devices must communicate on a frequentbasis with the billing and content server.

As depicted in FIGS. 46 and 47, the gateway device 12 also typicallycommunicates with a management system 28, such as the propertymanagement of a hotel or the like. While the functions performed byproperty management systems vary based upon the installation and theapplication, typical hotel property management systems automateoperations such as room reservations, room assignments, guest check-inand check-out and other front desk activities as described above. Inaddition, typical hotel property management systems can maintain a logof telephone calls and telephone charges for application to the bill foreach guest room. Accordingly, the gateway device of the presentinvention can communicate with a property management system in order toplace charges for the various services that a subscriber accessed viathe gateway device upon the appropriate bill that is maintained by theproperty management system.

Moreover, while the AAA functionality is typically physically embodiedwithin the gateway device 12, the gateway device can be configured tocommunicate with external AAA servers in order to authenticate asubscriber, to obtain authorization for the services requested by thesubscriber and to appropriately account for their usage. In addition,gateway devices may communicate with a wide variety of other externaldevices, particularly as gateway devices are deployed in newapplications or installations.

In order to avoid the overhead associated with communicating with eachof these external devices according to the unique format in which theexternal device is designed to communicate, the gateway device 12 of thepresent invention communicates with the external devices with a seriesof commands and responses formatted according to the extensible markuplanguage (XML). As known to those skilled in the art, XML is defined asan application profile of the standard generalized markup language(SGML) that is defined by ISO 8879. While SGML has been the standard,vendor-independent technique to maintain repositories of structureddocumentation for more than a decade, SGML is not well suited to servingdocuments over the world wide web. While XML is designed to enable theuse of SGML on the world wide web, XML is not a single, predefinedmarkup language. Instead, XML allows the system designer to design theirown markup. In this regard, a predefined markup language, such ashypertext markup language (HTML), defines one manner in which todescribe information in one specific class of documents. In contrast,XML allows the system designer to define its own customized markuplanguages for different classes of documents. As such, XML specifiesneither semantics nor a tag set. However, XML provides a facility todefine tags and the structural relationships between them. See XMLspecification 1.0 for further details regarding XML.

As such, the gateway device 12 of the present invention utilizes XML tocommunicate with a variety of external devices, including the billingand content server 26 and the property management system 28. Inaddition, in instances in which the AAA functionality resides in anexternal AAA server, the gateway device can also communicate with theexternal AAA server via XML. In particular, the gateway device isdesigned to communicate according to a set of XML commands and XMLresponses. Since the XML format is not specific to any particularexternal device, the gateway device can advantageously communicate witha variety of external devices via a common format, i.e., XML, and neednot format messages differently based upon the format with which theexternal device is otherwise designed to communicate.

As depicted in FIG. 48, the gateway device 12 typically includes aninternal web server 30, also known as a goahead server, that processesHTTP streams that are received from external devices. In instances inwhich the external device and the gateway device will communicate viathe XML protocol, the HTTP string will have XML as the content type,while the content itself will consist of tags, attributes and data. Asknown to those skilled in the art, tags serve as field identifiers andattributes contain the values of input parameters that are used asrecord keys or search arguments, i.e., a MAC address. In addition, dataelements are values that are to be stored in the tables andauthorization files of the gateway device. Data is also returned inresponse streams sent by the gateway device to the external devices.

In order to handle XML commands that are received from an externaldevice, the gateway device 12 includes an XML interface, also known asan XML parser 32, that is compliant with the world wide web consortium(W3C) standards to validate the XML command strings and the attributesand data derived from an XML query string. As depicted in FIG. 48, anXML interface typically includes a parser front end 34 that invokes thecore of a parser and determines the type of operation being requested.For example, in one common embodiment, the gateway device will receivean XML command from the billing and content server 26 requesting aspecific AAA operation. As such, the following description of the XMLinterface as well as accompanying FIGS. 48 and 49 will be in terms ofXML commands from the billing and content server requesting an AAAoperation. However, the XML interface can facilitate XML-basedcommunications between a wide variety of other devices without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention. In this regard, theonly requirement is that the external device has an XML interface, i.e.,an XML parser, and be adapted to support the same XML command protocolas the gateway device. One example of an XML protocol for communicationsbetween a gateway device and a billing and content server is providedbelow, although other XML command protocols can be established withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The XML interface 32 of the gateway device 12 also includes a parsersection 36 to handle elements as they are parsed from the XML stream. Inthis regard, parsed elements are organized into separate parameters thatare passed to the requested application, such as the AAA server, via anappropriate application program interface (API). As shown in FIG. 48,the sets of parameters that are to be passed to the requestedapplication are typically nested inside or wrapped within a recordstructure having an appropriate protocol as indicated by block 38designated as the API “wrapper”, that also provides any necessarytranslation of data elements, e.g. those that need to be converted fromstring format to some numeric format for internal processing reasons.Once properly wrapped, the sets of parameters are passed via theappropriate API 40 to the requested application, such as the AAA 42. Therequested application then responds to the request and provides therequested data via the API to the XML interface of the gateway device.

The gateway device 12 therefore also includes a building section 44 thatprepares responses to requests received by the gateway device. In thisregard, the building section of the XML interface 32 assembles theresults returned by the requested application into a new XML string thatwill be part of the HTTP response stream returned to the external devicevia a component such as the aforementioned goahead server. With respectto a HTTP response stream sent back to a billing and content server 26via the world wide web, the HTTP response stream is typically nestedinside a TCP/IP packet in order to be appropriately transmitted andreceived by the billing and content server. See, for example, FIG. 47that depicts the relative protocols and formats for signals transmittedbetween different elements of the overall computer system 10. However,other protocols can be utilized without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

A response that is returned by the gateway device 12 can be one of twotypes.

First, a standard “OK” response can be returned that typically includesthe data, if any, requested by the external device. Alternatively, anerror response can be returned that typically consists of a numericerror code and a textual description of the error. In either instance,the XML interface 32 generally creates a standard header consisting ofthe status, such as “OK” or “ERROR”, the ID of the gateway device andthe gateway device's IP address. This response is then placed onto theworld wide web by the internal web server 30 of the gateway device fordelivery to the external device.

While the XML interface 32 of the gateway device 12 of the presentinvention will be primarily described hereinafter in conjunction withXML commands received by the gateway device from an external device,followed by XML responses sent by the gateway device to the externaldevice, the gateway device of the present invention can be constructedso as to initiate XML-based communications by issuing XML commands tovarious external devices and awaiting appropriate responses. Inaddition, while the gateway device including an XML interface willprimarily be described in conjunction with communications involving anexternal billing and content server 26 that requests information fromthe AAA server, the gateway device can establish XML-basedcommunications with other external devices, such as a propertymanagement system 28 or, in instances in which the AAA server isexternal to the gateway device, with the AAA server itself. In any ofthese instances, the gateway device is able to communicate with theexternal device or server according to a common protocol, i.e., XML,without having to communicate with each external device in the formatunique to the respective external device. As such, the only requirementof the external device is that the external device has an XML interfaceand be adapted to support the same XML command protocol as the gatewaydevice.

While various XML command protocols can be established depending uponthe external device and the nature of the communication between theexternal device and the gateway device 12, one command protocolestablished between an external billing and content server 26 and agateway device is hereinafter provided by way of example and not by wayof limitation. In this example, the billing and content server sends XMLcommands to the gateway device which, in turn, responds to the billingand content server. In one example, the XML commands transmitted by thebilling and content server to the gateway device are sent using an HTTPform POST in which the information is placed in packets sent after theHTTP header. In this example, the command text will generally follow thefollowing format:

<USG COMMAND=“(command)” [(attr) =“(attr_data)”]> <(tag_n) [tag_n_attr =“(tag_n_attr_data)”]>(data_n)</(tag_n)> </USG>where:

(command) is a gateway device command;

(attr) is an optional attribute associated with a command;

(attr_data) is the data associated with the optional attribute tag;

(tag_n) is a data name tag used for specifying command parameter names;

(tag_n_attr) is an optional attribute name tag;

(tag_n_attr_data) is optional attribute data, and (data_n) is the dataassociated with a data name tag.

In addition, the typical XML response from the gateway device 12 to abilling and content server 28 following receipt of an XML command fromthe billing and content server is typically formatted as follows:

HTTP/I.I 200 OK: (specifies request understood) Server: UI 3A4B6D (usethe gateway device ID as the server name) Date: Fri, 23 Jul 199900:09:55 (current date/time) GMT Content-Type: text/xml (specifies XMLcontent) Last-Modified: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 (current date/time) 00:09:55GMT Content-Length: 560 (size of message body in characters) (this mustbe a blank line) (series of XML tag/data pairs) (end of message body)

In this regard, while the series of XML tag/data pairs referenced in theabove exemplary XML response format will depend upon the particularcommand as described below, one series of XML tag/data pairs typicallyfollow the following format:

<USG RESULT=“(RESULTCODE)” ID=“ (UI)” IP= “(USG_IP_ADDR)”>[<ERROR_NUM>(error number)</ERROR_NUM>] [<ERROR_DESC>(errordescription)</ERROR DESC>] <tag_n) [tag_n_attr =“tag_n_attr_data”]>(data_n)</(tag_n)> </USG>where:

(RESULTCODE) is either “OK” or “ERROR”,

(UI) is the gateway device ID;

(USG_IP_ADDR) is the IP address of the gateway device;

(tag_n) is a data name tag;

(tag_n_attr) is an optional attribute name tag;

(tag_n_attr_data) is optional attribute data; and

(data_n) is the data associated with a data name tag.

As indicated, all XML responses returned following an XML command willcontain error information. In this regard, the attribute RESULT will beassigned either “OK” or “ERROR”. If an error did occur, two additionaltag/data pairs will be added as part of the response form, namely,error_num and error_desc. The error number data will contain an integernumber representing the error that occurred, while the error descriptiondata will be a readable textual description of the error.

While a variety of commands and responses can be established based uponthe foregoing XML command and response formats, examples of severalparticular commands that could be issued by a billing and content server26 to the gateway device 12, requesting either room administration oruser administration, are provided below. The resulting responsesprovided by the gateway device are also provided. However, the followingcommands and responses are for purposes of illustration only and shouldnot be construed as limitations of the type of XML commands andresponses that can be formulated.

Regarding room administration, the billing and content server 28 canissue an XML command to set the access mode of a specified room thatincludes the following command, command attribute, command attributedata, and tag/data pair:

Command: “ROOM_SET_ACCESS” Command attr: “ROOM_NUMBER” Commandattr_data: Room number (8 char. max string) tag_1: “ACCESS_MODE” data_1:“ROOM_OPEN”, “ROOM_CHARGE”, or “ROOM_BLOCK”

In response, the gateway device 12 would typically issue a standard XMLresponse indicating that the command was received and implementedappropriately or that an error occurred.

Also with respect to room administration, a billing and content server26 can issue a command querying the gateway device 12 regarding theaccess mode of a specified room. In this regard, the query room statuscommand could include the following command, command attribute, andcommand attribute data:

Command: “ROOM_QUERY_ACCESS” Command attr: “ROOM_NUMBER” Commandattr_data: Room number (8 char. max string)

In response, the gateway device 12 could return a standard response,including the following tags and data in which the room access mode isselected from one of

“room_open”, “room_charge” or the “room_block”:

tag_1 = “ROOM_NUMBER” data_1 = (room number) tag_2 = “ACCESS_MODE”data_2 = (room access mode)

With respect to user administration, the billing and content server 26can issue a command to add or update a user that has been authorized foraccess and should now be added to the MAC authorization table, that is,a memory table maintained by the gateway device 12. In this regard, theXML command to add/update a user typically includes the followingcommand, command attribute, command attribute data, and tag/data pair:

Command: “USER_ADD” Command attr: “MAC_ADDR” Command attr_data: user MACaddress (string) tag_1: “USER_NAME” data_1: (user name) tag_2:“PASSWORD” tag_2_attr: “ENCRYPT” tag_2_attr_data: “TRUE” or “FALSE”data_2: (user password) tag_3: “EXPIRY_TIME” tag_3_attr: “UNITS”tag_3_attr_data: “SECONDS”, “HOURS”, “DAYS” data_3: (number of expiryunits) tag_4: “ROOM_NUMBER” data_4: (user's room number) tag_5:“PAYMENT_METHOD” data_5: “RADIUS”, “PMS”, “CREDIT_CARD”, or “ROOM_OPEN”tag_6: “CONFIRMATION” data_6: (confirmation code/ID) tag_7: “PAYMENT”data_7: (amount paid for access)

In response, the gateway device 12 would typically issue a standard XMLresponse indicating that the command was received and processedappropriately or that an error occurred.

The billing and content server 26 can also issue an XML command todelete a user who is identified by either a MAC address or a user name.In this regard, the delete user command typically includes the followingcommand, tag and data:

Command: “USER_DELETE” tag_1: “USER” tag_I_attr: “ID_TYPE”tag_attr_data: “MAC_ADDR” or “USER_NAME” data_1: if ID_TYPE = “MAC_ADDR”then (user MAC address) if ID_TYPE = “USER_NAME” then (user name)

In response, the gateway device 12 would typically issue a standard XMLresponse indicating that the command was received and processedappropriately or that an error occurred.

The billing and content server 26 can also query the gateway device 12for the current user data by issuing an XML command that includes thefollowing command, tag and data:

Command: “USER_QUERY” tag_1: “USER” tag_I_attr: “ID_TYPE”tag_I_attr_data: “MAC_ADDR” or “USER_NAME” data 1: “ “ if ID_TYPE =“MAC_ADDR” then (user MAC address) if ID_TYPE = “USER_NAME” then (username)

In response, the gateway device 12 typically uses a standard XMLresponse with the following tags/data pairs:

tag_1: = “MAC_ADDR” data_1: = (user MAC address) tag_2: = “USER_NAME”data_2: = (user name) tag_3: = “PASSWORD” data_3: = (user password)tag_4: = “EXPIRY_TIME” tag_4_attr: = “UNITS” tag_4_attr_data: =“SECONDS”, “HOURS”, “DAYS” data 4: = (number of expiry units) tag_5: =“ROOM_NUMBER” data_5: = (user's room number) tag_6: = “PAYMENT METHOD”data_6: = “RADIUS”, “PMS”, “CREDIT_CARD”, “ROOM” tag_7: = “DATA_VOLUME”data_7: = (data transferred by user in Kbytes)

The billing and content server 26 can also issue a command to check auser's identity, as specified by a MAC address, against theauthorization tables maintained by the gateway device 12 or theassociated AAA server. If the user is found either in the MAC or roomauthorization table, VALID_USER is returned along with the userauthorization method, such as RADIUS, PMS, credit card or room (ininstances in which the room is opened up for free internet access). Ifthe user was not found in the MAC or room authorization tables,INVALID_USER will be returned. In any event, the XML command issued bythe billing and content server typically includes the following command,command attribute and command attribute data:

Command: “USER_AUTHORIZE” Command attr: “MAC_ADDR” Command attr_data:user MAC address (string)

In response, the gateway device 12 typically issues a standard XMLresponse indicating that the command was received and processedappropriately or that an error occurred, and that includes the followingtag and data pairs:

tag_1: = “STATUS” data_1: = “VALID_USER” or “INVALID_USER” tag_2: =“PAYMENT_METHOD” data_2: = “RADIUS”, “PMS”, “CREDIT_CARD”, or “ROOM”

The billing and content server 26 can also issue an XML commandrequesting user authorization and payment. If the authorization methodthat the user has selected is RADIUS, then the gateway device 12 willestablish communication with the RADIUS server, authenticate the user,charge the user's account, and return the result of the authorization tothe billing and content server. If the authorization method chosen bythe user is PMS, the gateway device will establish communication withthe PMS 28, authenticate the user, have an access fee added to theuser's room bill, and return the result of the authorization to thebilling and content server. In either event, the XML command issued bythe billing and content server to request user authorization paymentincludes the following command, command attribute, command attributedata and tag and data pairs:

Command: “USER_PAYMENT” Command attr: “PAYMENT_METHOD” Commandattr_data: “RADIUS” or “PMS” tag_1: “USER_NAME” data_1: (user name)tag_2: “PASSWORD” tag_2_attr: “ENCRYPT” tag_2_attr_data: “TRUE” or“FALSE” data_2: (user password) tag_3: “EXPIRY_TIME” - only if “METHOD =“PMS” tag_3_attr: “UNITS” tag_3_attr_data: “SECOND”, “HOURS”, “DAYS”data_3: (number of expiry units) -only if METHOD = “PMS” tag_4:“ROOM_NUMBER” data_4: (user's room number) tag_5: “PAYMENT” -only ifMETHOD=“PMS” data_5: (amount charged for access) -only if METHOD = “PMS”

In response, the gateway device 12 issues a standard XML responseindicating that the command was received and processed appropriately orthat an error occurred, and that includes the following tag and data:

tag_1: = “CONFIRMATION” data_1: = (confirmation number/ID)

The billing and content server 26 can also issue an XML command ininstances in which a user makes an e-commerce or special servicepurchase that is to be charged, such as to the user's bill via theproperty management system 28. In this regard, the billing and contentserver issues an XML command that includes the following command,command attribute, command attribute data and tag and data pairs.

Command: “USER_PURCHASE” Command attr: “ROOM_NUMBER” Command attr_data:(room number) tag_1: “ITEM_CODE” data_1: (item code) tag_2:“ITEM_DESCRIPTION” data_2: (description of purchase) tag_3:“ITEM_AMOUNT” data_3: (amount of item with out tax) tag_4: “ITEM_TAX”data_4: (tax charged on item) tag_5: “ITEM_TOTAL” data_5: (total amountcharged including tax)

In response, the gateway device will issue a standard XML responseindicating that the command was received and processed appropriately orthat an error occurred.

Finally, the billing and content server 26 can issue an XML command inorder to update cache memory by changing the status of an entry in thememory authorization table, as identified by the MAC address, from“pending” to “authorized”. In this regard, the XML command can includethe following command, command attribute, command attribute date and tagand data pair:

Command: “CACHE_UPDATE” Command attr: “MAC_ADDR” Command attr_data: userMAC address (string) tag_1: “PAYMENT_METHOD” data_1: “RADIUS”, “PMS”,“CREDIT_CARD”, or “ROOM_OPEN”

In response, the gateway device will issue a standard XML responseindicating that the command was received and processed appropriately orthat an error occurred.

While the foregoing XML commands and XML responses that would flowbetween a billing and content server 26 and a gateway device 12 havebeen provided by way of example in order to illustrate one particularapplication of the XML interface 32 or XML parser of a gateway device,the gateway device that includes an XML interface according to thepresent invention can be employed to communicate with the billing andcontent server according to a wide variety of other commands andresponses. In addition, a gateway device that includes an XML interfacecan also be employed to communicate with a wide variety of otherexternal devices, including a property management system 28, an externalAAA server, or other external devices. In addition, the gateway devicecan be configured to issue the XML commands and to receive XML responsesif necessary for the particular application. In any event, a gatewaydevice that includes an XML interface facilitates communication betweenthe gateway device and various external devices in a uniform manner,thereby avoiding having to communicate with each of the external devicesaccording to a unique format established by the vendor of the externaldevice. As a result, the design, implementation operation of the gatewaydevice is greatly simplified.

Automatic User Tracking & Security in Networks

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) was developed as a means ofnetwork administrators to assign TCP/IP configuration parametersautomatically to the client computers in their networks. Because DHCPrelieves network administrators of the time-consuming task of manuallyconfiguring each computer on the network, it has been well received andis currently used in 40 to 60 percent of enterprise networks today.

DHCP was designed to assign IP settings to any user joining a network,without any user authentication, from a pre-defined range of IPaddresses. Since DHCP assigns IP addresses indiscriminately (without,for example, manually entering a MAC address for a lease reservation),it does not allow for the tracking of individual end-users. This canmake tracing and diagnosing network problems very difficult for the NSP.

DHCP in the Network Service Provider Network

Under this scenario, each NSP deploys its own DHCP server to performnetwork configuration tasks. Any DHCP client can obtain the necessarynetwork configuration settings to gain network access from a DHCP server(unless manual reservations are employed). Thus, if a DHCP approach isemployed by the NSP, each user must be authenticated or the NSP will notbe able to deny access to an unauthorized user. DHCP can also createproblems with user traceability. Since clients are given an IP addressfrom a pool of available addresses, the network administrator does notknow who is using each IP address.

The traceability issue can be solved by binding MAC addresses topermanent DHCP leases (e.g., manual reservations). Several cable NSPsare using this approach. This, however, requires the NSP to manuallytrack each user's MAC address. This approach forces the user to call acustomer service representative at the NSP with his new MAC address eachtime he changes computers or network interface cards (NIC). This processof tracking MAC addresses requires manual intervention and is burdensomefor the NSP; it is not a scalable solution for millions of subscribers.

The DHCP approach generally leads to either lengthy customer supportcalls or worse, on-site visits to the subscribers' homes to setconfiguration parameters. This process is not complete once the initialcustomer configuration has been established. The configuration processmust be repeated each time the subscriber changes or upgrades hiscomputer or network interface card. This places a substantial and costlycustomer support burden on the NSP trying to roll out residentialbroadband service.

Summary

In accordance with the present invention, automatic user tracking andsecurity is provided by detecting a unique indicator of the userattempting to access the network, such as the MAC address, and thentranslating subsequent packets received from that user in accordancewith data stored in a server.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first time a subscriberaccesses his residential network, the Nomadix solution has the abilityto redirect that user to a sign-in page on his browser. Nomadix refersherein to the assignee of the present invention. Then, our adaptivenetworking technology creates a database that automatically records theuser's MAC address once an existing customer database or security server(such as RADIUS or TACACS) authenticates the user. The Nomadix databaseshave been built to easily integrate with these subscriber accesssystems. Like a router, the Nomadix technology continues to track the IPand MAC settings for each user on the network, eliminating the need forfurther sign-ins. This allows the NSP to trace network problems andtrack usage.

In addition, the underlying dynamic NAT approach used to translatestatic IP addresses can create an additional layer of security forsubscribers, since their private IP information never gets transmittedover the public IP.

Description

Referring now generally to all attachments and figures, and inparticular to FIG. 50, when a packet is received, the MAC address withinthe packet is compared to the store of valid customer MAC address. Ifthe packet is from a valid MAC address, the user activity is logged. Adynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) is processed by looking upthe customer's configuration from a previously prepared database andassigning the User's configuration to the packet which is then processedin the normal manner. If no DHCP request is made, the packet istranslated or redirected as required before normal processing.

If the received packet does not include a valid MAC address, temporarynew configuration information is provided to the User who is thendirected to a Subscription login page to create a new account. TheUser's customer configuration is then written into a data base for laterlookup in response to a DCHP request. A non-new User goes through alogin validation after which the MAC address is stored for later lookup.

Referring now to FIGS. 12A-D, the above described secure DHCP techniquecan be provided in an alternate embodiment of the Nomadic Router (NR) asshown and described herein.

Whenever a computer generates a packet on the network and it is receivedfrom the NR as shown in FIG. 11A step 4, the packet will be checked tosee if it is coming from a validated MAC address as shown in FIG. 50. Ifthe valid packet is a DHCP request then option 3 of the Host LearningSection herein is used, otherwise interception and address translationis performed as option 1 or 2 of the Host Learning section herein.

One embodiment for performing the step of providing any neededtranslation or redirection, as specified in FIG. 50, is described insteps 5, 6, and 7 of FIG. 11A. Similarly, the step of Normal PacketProcessing and Tracking is performed in step 8 of FIG. 11A.

Authorizing, Authenticating and Accounting Users Having TransparentComputer Access to a Network Using a Gateway Device

A system and method for authorizing, authenticating and accounting usershaving transparent access to a destination network, wherein the usersotherwise have access to a home network through home network settingsresident on the user's computers, and wherein the users can access thedestination network without altering the home network settings andwithout installing software on the user's computer. The system includesa gateway device for receiving a request from a user for access to thedestination network, and means for identifying an attribute associatedwith the user based upon a packet received by the gateway device,wherein the packet is transmitted from the user's computer, and whereinthe user's computer is configured for accessing the home network. Thesystem also includes a user profile database comprising stored accessinformation and in communication with the gateway device, wherein accessinformation corresponding to the user is identified by the attributeassociated with the user. Furthermore, the system includes anAuthentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server where the AAAserver determines if user is entitled to access the destination networkbased upon the access information stored within the user profiledatabase. The method of the invention includes receiving at a gatewaydevice a request from a user for access to the destination network,identifying an attribute associated with the user based upon a packetreceived by the gateway device, wherein the packet is transmitted fromthe user's computer, and wherein the user computer remains configuredfor accessing the home network, and wherein no additional configurationsoftware need be installed on the user computer. A user profilecorresponding to the user and stored in a user profile database isaccessed, where the user profile is accessed based upon the attributeassociated with the user, and determination is made based upon the userprofile as to whether the user is entitled to access the destinationnetwork.

Background

In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment,the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, thisconfiguration process establishes the protocol and other parameters bywhich the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, aplurality of computers is networked to create a local area network(LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured inorder to exchange data over the network. Since most networks arecustomized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are partof different networks are generally configured in different manners inorder to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.

While desktop computers generally remain a part the same network for asubstantial period of time, laptops, handhelds, personal digitalassistants (PDAs), cellphones or other portable computers (collectively“portable computers”) are specifically designed to be transportable. Assuch, portable computers are connected to different networks atdifferent times depending upon the location of the computer. In a commonexample in which the portable computer serves as an employee's desktopcomputer, the portable computer is configured to communicate with theiremployer's network, i.e., the enterprise network. When the employeetravels, however, the portable computer may be connected to differentnetworks that communicate in different manners. In this regard, theemployee may connect the portable computer to the network maintained byan airport, a hotel, a cellular telephone network operator or any otherlocale in order to access the enterprise network, the Internet or someother on-line service. The portable computer is also commonly brought tothe employee's residence where it is used to access various networks,such as, the enterprise network, a home network, the Internet and thelike. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently,however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order toproperly communicate with these other networks. Typically, thisconfiguration is performed by the user each time that the portablecomputer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, thisrepeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite timeconsuming, but is also prone to errors. The reconfiguration proceduremay even be beyond the capabilities of many users or in violation oftheir employer's IT policy. Accordingly, special software must alsotypically be loaded onto the user's computer to support reconfiguration.

As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S.Prov. Pat. Apps. Nos. 60/111,497, 60/160,973, 60/161,189, 60/161,139,60/160,890 and 60/161,182, a universal subscriber gateway device hasbeen developed by Nomadix, Inc. of Westlake Village, Calif. The contentsof these applications are incorporated herein by reference. The gatewaydevice serves as an interface connecting the user to a number ofnetworks or other online services. For example, the gateway device canserve as a gateway to the Internet, the enterprise network, or othernetworks and/or on-line services. In addition to serving as a gateway,the gateway device automatically adapts to a computer, in order that itmay communicate with the new network in a manner that is transparentboth to the user and the new network. Once the gateway device hasappropriately adapted to the user's computer, the computer canappropriately communicate via the new network, such as the network at ahotel, at home, at an airport, or any other location, in order to accessother networks, such as the enterprise network, or other onlineservices, such as the Internet.

The portable computer user, and more specifically the remote or laptopuser, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computer networkswithout having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-often dauntingtask of reconfiguring their host computer in accordance with networkspecific configurations. In addition, no additional software need beloaded onto the computer prior to connection to the other network. Fromanother perspective, the network service provider benefits from avoiding“on-site” visits and/or technical support calls from the user who isunable to properly re-configure the portable computer. In this fashion,the gateway device is capable of providing more efficient network accessand network maintenance to the user and the network operator.

Gateway devices are typically used to provide network access to theremote portable computer user, such as users in hotels, airports andother locations where the remote portable computer user may reside.Additionally, gateway devices have found wide-spread use inmulti-resident dwellings as a means of providing the residents anintranet that networks the residents, broadband Internet access and thecapability to adapt to the variances of the resident's individualenterprise networks. With the advent of even smaller portable computingdevices, such as handhelds, PDAs, and the like, the locations wherethese users may reside becomes almost limitless.

User access to computer networks has been traditionally based upon theidentity of the computer or computer user rather than the location ofthe accessing computer. For example, in conventional dial up modemaccess to computer networks, such as the Internet, a user must typicallyenter identification information such as the user's name and password.This user input information is then compared to a database of userprofiles to determine if the user should be granted access. The databasemay also indicate the type of access and other related information, suchas fees due. For example, where a subscriber to an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) has purchased Internet access, a user profile databasemay contain information which not only enables the user to beauthenticated, but tracks the user's access for accounting purposes,such as maintaining a history of the user's access time on the network.

However, where the location-based access is established, access to thenetwork cannot be based upon an individual user or computer, as multiplepersons can obtain access from a given location, possibly utilizingdifferent computers. Moreover, requiring each user to enteridentification information for access overrides any convenience offeredby simple, transparent location-based access to computer networks.Transparent network access is also impeded where access is not basedupon location-based identification, but rather based upon user inputidentification information, where the gateway device enables a user toaccess networks based upon the user's computer settings. For instance,if a user's computer is configured to access a home network, identifyingthe computer may require the computer to be reconfigured.

Typical network access servers typically allow access to a server basedupon a user's information, such as a user name. Authentication wastypically done via a user name and password, which is an all or nothingapproach. In other words, a user is either allowed access or deniedaccess to a network. Therefore, users cannot be dynamically authorizedaccess to a network such that the user's access and authorization toparticular networks or sites can be determined and varied based uponattributes associated with the user, user's location, or packetsreceived from the user's computer.

What is needed is an AAA method and system that allows users dynamicaccess based upon any number of variables, such as a user's location, auser name or password, a user's location. It would be advantageous for auser to be authorized access based on these variables. Furthermore, itwould be advantageous for users to have flexible access to particularsites or services based upon these attributes. Therefore, an ISP orenterprise network can selectively permit access to users, and permitthe user.

Therefore, an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting method andsystem would be desirable which enables a user transparent access to acomputer network employing a gateway device, where the computer networkcan dynamically and selectively authorize a network access. Furthermore,authentication and access rights can be transparently based upon thelocation from which access is requested, or based upon another attributeassociated with the user's computer so that the user is not required tobe queried for information and no additional configuration software needbe loaded on the user's computer. Moreover, if the user is queried foraccess information, the user's data should be stored such thatsubsequent attempts to access the network do not require the user toestablish authorization.

Summary

The present invention comprises a method and system for selectivelyimplementing and enforcing Authentication, Authorization and Accounting(AAA). The authentication capability can be based upon multiple methods.First, AAA can be done based upon where the traffic is originating, suchas a location, computer, circuit, or user. Secondly, the authenticationand authorization capability can be based upon the type of services theuser is attempting to access, such as a destination address. This can bea destination port or Internet address, a TCP port, a network. Third,AAA can be based upon the content type or protocol being transmitted.For example, each packet can be filtered through the selective AAAprocess, so that a user can be authorized access to a particularlocation. Each time the user attempts to access a different location,the user is subject to the AAA, so the user may be prevented access froma particular site the AAA method deems inaccessible to the user basedupon the user's authorization. Alternatively, the AAA method accordingto the present invention allows users to connect directly to a specificsite, such as credit card or billing servers which collect billinginformation, which can indicate that the user has paid, so that the useris thereafter authorized access to networks. Additionally, a user'sauthorization can depend upon a specific time, so that the user can bekicked off a network at a specific time, after a specific time haselapsed, or according to other dynamic information determined by thenetwork provider.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for transparentlyauthorizing, authenticating and accounting users having access to adestination network is disclosed, wherein the users otherwise haveaccess to a home network through home network settings resident on theusers' computers, and wherein the users can access the destinationnetwork without altering the home network settings. The method includesreceiving at a gateway device a request from a user for access to thedestination network and identifying an attribute associated with theuser based upon a packet received by the gateway device, wherein thepacket is transmitted from the user's computer, wherein the usercomputer remains configured for accessing the home network, and whereinno additional configuration software need be installed on the usercomputer. The method also includes accessing a user profilecorresponding to the user and stored in a user profile database, wherethe user profile is accessed based upon the attribute associated withthe user, and determining if the user is entitled to access thedestination network based upon the user profile.

According to one aspect of the invention, a location identifier isassigned to the location from which the request for access to thedestination network is transmitted, where the location identifier is theattribute associated with the user. Thus, the packets received by thegateway device indicate the locations from which the requests weretransmitted. The location identifier may be a virtual local area network(VLAN) ID assigned to the location from which the request for access wastransmitted.

Furthermore, according to one aspect of the method of the presentinvention, the user profile database can be updated when new usersaccess the destination network such that the user can be quicklyauthorized access once identified by a user name or password.Additionally, a historical log of user access to the destination networkmay be maintained in respective user profiles so that the system canaccurately bill users for access to the destination network.

According to the method of the present invention, determining if theuser is entitled to access the destination network can include denyingthe user access where the user's profile indicates that the user isdenied access. However, the user may be directed to a login page ininstances which the user's profile is not located within the userprofile database.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a system forauthorizing, authenticating and accounting users having transparentaccess to a destination network is disclosed, where the users otherwisehave access to a home network through home network settings resident onthe users' computers, and wherein the users can access the destinationnetwork without altering the home network settings. The system includesa gateway device for receiving a request from a user for access to thedestination network, and means for identifying an attribute associatedwith the user based upon a packet received by the gateway device,wherein the packet is transmitted from the user's computer, wherein theuser's computer is configured for accessing the home network, andwherein no additional configuration software need be installed on theuser computer. The system also includes a user profile databasecomprising stored access information that is in communication with thegateway device, wherein access information corresponding to the user isidentified by the attribute associated with the user, and anAuthentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server incommunication with the gateway device and user profile database, wherethe AAA server determines if user is entitled to access the destinationnetwork based upon the access information stored within the user profiledatabase.

According to one aspect of the invention, the means for identifying canbe provided by an access concentrator in communication with the gatewaydevice. Furthermore, the packet transmitted to the gateway device caninclude a VLAN ID, a circuit ID, or a media access control (MAC) addressfor identifying the location from which the request for access wastransmitted.

The user profile database includes a plurality of user profiles, whereineach respective user profile of the plurality of user profiles containsaccess information, and where each respective user profile containshistorical data relating to the duration of destination network accessfor use in determining the charges due for the destination networkaccess. Additionally, the user profile database can be located withinthe AAA server. The AAA server, can, in turn, be located within thegateway device.

The Authentication, Authorization and Accounting method and systemaccording to the present invention enables users transparent access to acomputer network employing a gateway device, where the computer networkcan authenticate and authorize access rights based upon the locationfrom which access is requested, or based upon another attributeassociated with the user in a manner transparent to the user. In thisregard, the method and system of the present invention permitAuthentication, Authorization and Accounting without requiring the userto reconfigure their computer and without requiring additionalconfiguration software to be loaded upon the user's computer.

Description

Referring now to FIG. 36, a computer system 10 including a gatewaydevice 12 is depicted in block diagram form. The computer system 10typically includes a plurality of computers 14 that access a computernetwork in order to gain access to networks 20 or other online services22. For example, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports that arelocated in different rooms of a hotel, business, or a multi-dwellingunit. Alternatively, the computers 14 can be plugged into ports in anairport, an arena, or the like. The gateway device 12 provides aninterface between the plurality of computers 14 and the various networks20 or other online services 22. One embodiment of a gateway device hasbeen described by the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/816,174.

Most commonly, the gateway device 12 is located near the computers 14 ata relatively low position in the overall network (i.e., the gatewaydevice 12 will be located within the hotel, multi-unit residence,airport, etc.). However, the gateway device 12 can be located at ahigher position in the system by being located closer to the variousnetworks 20 or other online services 22, if so desired. Although thegateway device 12 can be physically embodied in many different fashions,the gateway device 12 typically includes a controller and a memorydevice in which software is stored that defines the operationalcharacteristics of the gateway device 12. Alternatively, the gatewaydevice 12 can be embedded within another network device, such as anaccess concentrator 16 or a router 18. For example, the gateway device12 could be located at a network operating center or could be locatedbefore or after a router 18 in the computer network. Moreover, thesoftware that defines the functioning of the gateway device 12 can bestored on a PCMCIA card that can be inserted into a computer of theplurality of computers 14 in order to automatically reconfigure thecomputer to communicate with a different computer system, such as thenetworks 20 and online services 22.

The computer system 10 typically includes an access concentrator 16positioned between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12 formultiplexing the signals received from the plurality of computers onto alink to the gateway device 12. Depending upon the medium by which thecomputers 14 are connected to the access concentrator, the accessconcentrator 16 can be configured in different manners. For example, theaccess concentrator can be a digital subscriber line access multiplexer(DSLAM) for signals transmitted via regular telephone lines, a cablehead end for signals transmitted via coaxial cables, a wireless accesspoint (WAP) for signals transmitted via a wireless network, a cablemodem termination shelf (CMTS), a switch or the like. As also shown inFIG. 36, the computer system 10 typically includes one or more routers18 and/or servers (not shown in FIG. 36) to control or direct traffic toand from a plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services22. While the computer system 10 is depicted to have a single router,the computer system 10 can have a plurality of routers, switches,bridges, or the like that are arranged in some hierarchical fashion inorder to appropriately route traffic to and from the various networks 20or online services 22. In this regard, the gateway device 12 typicallyestablishes a link with one or more routers. The routers, in turn,establish links with the servers of other networks or other onlineservice providers, such as internet service providers, based upon theuser's selection. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in theart that one or more devices illustrated in FIG. 36 may be combinable.For example, although not shown, the router 18 may be located entirelywithin the gateway device 12.

Communication between users and networks or online services may beeffectuated through ports, for example, located within hotel rooms ormulti-dwelling units, or through conventional dial-up communications,such as through the use of telephone or cable modems. According to oneaspect of the invention, users can be/are redirected to portal page, asdescribed below. After being redirected to the portal page, the user issubjected to a AAA process. Based upon the AAA process, the user may bepermitted transparent access to the destination network or may beredirected to a login page in order to gather additional information toidentify the user.

Identifying the user is crucial in authorizing access to networks oronline services, as such services are typically provided for a fee andmay be customized based upon the user, user's location, or user'scomputer. As such, the system of the present invention includes meansfor identifying a user based upon an attribute associated with the userthat is contained within the packet transmitted from the user'scomputer. Attributes can include information such as the source,destination and type of traffic. In general, identifying a user'scomputer that accesses the network can be done by a MAC addressassociated with the user's computer. Identifying a user accessing anetwork based upon a MAC address is well known to those of skill in theart, and will not be discussed in detail herein. Additionally, theattribute can be based upon a user name and ID, or according to oneadvantageous embodiment, a particular location, such as from acommunications port in a hotel room. Such location-based identificationin computer systems employing VLAN tagging and those not employing VLANtagging according to the present invention will first be described.However, it should be appreciated that location based authorization isjust one method of identifying a user which may be authenticated,authorized and accounted according to the present invention. As statedabove, a user's computer can be identified based on a MAC addressassociated with the computer. A user can also be identified based upon ausername and password. Additionally, a user can be identified accordingto a combination of these attributes.

The authentication capability can be based upon multiple methods. First,AAA can be done based upon where the traffic is originating, such as alocation, computer, circuit, or user. Secondly, the authentication andauthorization capability can be based upon the type of services the useris attempting to access, such as a destination address. This can be adestination port or Internet address, a TCP port, a network. Third, AAAcan be based upon the content type or protocol being transmitted. Forexample, each packet can be filtered through the selective AAA process,so that a user can be authorized access to a particular location. Eachtime the user attempts to access a different location, the user issubject to the AAA, so the user may be prevented access from aparticular site the AAA method deems accessible to the user based uponthe user's authorization. Alternatively, the AAA method according to thepresent invention allows users to connect directly to a specific site,such as credit card or billing servers which collect billinginformation, which can indicate that the user has paid, so that the useris thereafter authorized access to networks. Additionally, a user'sauthorization can depend upon a specific time, so that the user can bekicked off a network at a specific time, after a specific time haselapsed, or according to other dynamic information determined by thenetwork provider.

Therefore, AAA can be based upon the source, destination, and type oftraffic. Upon receiving a packet, the AAA module will look at variousparameters such as the link layer information, such as the circuit,source MAC address, VLAN tag, circuit ID, along with network informationsuch as source IP addresses, source port. This source information isstored into a AAA subscriber table. Secondly, information is gatheredabout the destination, such as the destination IP addresses, destinationport, to determine what type of authentication is needed to accessparticular services. Third the packet is interrogated to receiveinformation such as the protocol type, port or the packet type todetermine what type of authentication is required for a packet to beauthorized for network access. Once this information is gathered, amatching of the authentication requirements versus the authorization isapplied. If there is a match, the packet is forwarded and allowedaccess. If this match fails, the subscriber information for that packetis set as pending for authorization. Pending for authorization packetsrequire further authentication and authorization before being allowed toaccess the system. Authorization can be determined based upon theattributes determined by the packet, or if not matched, the user willhave to provide authentication, which can be described in the HPRpatent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,894, issued Oct. 21, 2003, filed Dec. 8,1999, entitled “Systems and Methods For Redirecting Users HavingTransparent Computer Access To A Network Using A Gateway Device HavingRedirection Capability,” incorporated elsewhere herein.

For example, once the gateway device identifies the location from whichaccess is requested, such as from a specific port of a hotel room, thegateway device can then determine the access rights of the user at thatspecific location. It should be appreciated that as an alternative tolocation-based identification the gateway device may identify a user ora user's computer based upon attributes other than location. Forexample, the gateway device may receive a MAC address identifying aparticular user's computer (for example, a user in communication withthe gateway device through a conventional modem), as is well known inthe art, although the embodiments described herein will refer primarilyto location-based identification as described above. Additionally, auser can be identified by the gateway device based upon a user ID andpassword which the user can input in response to a query for suchinformation. This is discussed below and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,894,issued Oct. 21, 2003, in the name of inventor Short et al., entitled“Systems and Methods for Redirecting Users Having Transparent ComputerAccess to a Network Using a Gateway Device Having RedirectionCapability,” incorporated elsewhere herein. In addition, a user stayingin a particular hotel room may be authorized access based upon theuser's location. Alternatively, the user can be authorized access to thenetwork and online services based upon the user's identification, or theuser's computer, regardless where the user is obtaining access.Furthermore, access may be associated with a combination of attributes.For example, a user may be authorized access to a network where the userhas input the user's identification and has accessed the network from aparticular room. Such a requirement could prevent unauthorized usersalso staying in a particular room from obtaining network access.

Regardless of the means in which access is obtained and an attributeassociated with the user is identified, access rights of users aredetermined according to an AAA method implemented by a AAA server.According to one embodiment of the present invention, the AAA server islocated entirely within the gateway device. Alternatively, the AAAserver can also be located external to the gateway device.

One function of the AAA server is to identify the user in communicationwith the gateway device in a manner that is transparent to the user.That is, the user will not be required to reconfigure the computer orotherwise change the home network settings, and no additionalconfiguration software will have to be added to the computer. After apacket is received by the gateway device, as described in detail above,information contained within the packet is stored within a subscriptiontable. The subscription table is a database of user information. Inparticular, the subscription table can maintain any information orattribute known about a user, including a circuit ID or MAC address,such that a particular user or user location can be identified uponaccessing the computer system. After a packet is received, andattributes associated with a user are obtained, informationcorresponding to the packet is received from the subscription table. Itwill be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the packet mayidentify the location of the port from which access is obtained basedupon location-based authorization, as described above, or a specificcomputer based upon a MAC address, as is well known in the art.Regardless of connection means however, any attribute or anything knownabout the user or location of the traffic, can be stored in thesubscriber table. The subscription table and information stored thereinmay be stored in a computer readable storage medium, as well known inthe art, that is either disposed within the gateway device or external.

After receiving a request for access from a user and identifying theuser or location through the use of the subscription table, the AAAserver then determines the access rights of the particular user. What isdone with the user depends upon information contained in the user'sprofile. Profiles of all users (i.e., identified by MAC address or bylocation or by some other attribute) are stored in a user profiledatabase, which may be located internal to or external to the gatewaydevice. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art thatalthough the user profile database is discussed herein as being separateand distinct from the subscription table, the two databases may becombined into one database containing both user subscription data aswell as user profile data.

The user's profile can contain information that is based upon the useror the user's location (as established by location-basedidentification), and generally includes information concerning theaccess rights of a user or location. For example, the user profiledatabase may establish that a user with a given MAC address haspurchased access, or that a given circuit ID has free access orunlimited access. Guests in a particular room or rooms of a hotel, forexample, suites and penthouses, may receive free unlimited internetaccess. Therefore, access rights can be available contingent upon theuser's location (e.g., room) or location status (e.g., suite). In thisevent, no further identification is required, as the location from whichthe users are requesting access is known to the gateway device andstored in the subscription table.

In addition to storing whether users have valid access rights, the userprofile database can also include specialized access informationparticular to a specific location or user, such as the bandwidth of theuser's access, or a homepage to which a user should be directed. Forexample, a user accessing the network from a penthouse may receive ahigher access band rate than someone accessing the destination networkfrom a typical hotel room. Additionally, a user profile can includehistorical data relating to a user's access to the network, includingthe amount of time a user has accessed the network. Such historicalinformation can be used to determine any fees which may be charged tothe user, or due from the user, for access. Specialized accessinformation contained within the user profile may be established by thesystem administrator, or by the user who has purchased or otherwiseestablished access to the network. For example, where a user istransparently accessing the gateway device from a hotel room, the hotelnetwork administrator may enter user access information into the profiledatabase based upon access rights associated with a room in the hotel.This can also be done automatically by the gateway device or a localmanagement system, such as a hotel property management system, when theuser checks into his or her room. Additionally, the user may establishthe information to be contained within the profile database upon firstaccessing the gateway device, as will be described in detail below. Forinstance, a new user may be directed to enter their credit card numberto obtain access to the system. Whereas the subscription table initiallyidentifies the user and maintains location information, the user profiledatabase includes information concerning the details of the user'saccess privileges, as well as any specialized information for each user.

As noted above, user profile database can be maintained within thegateway device, or it can be located external to the gateway device. Forexample, where a hotel wishes to establish transparent network accessfor customers from hotel rooms, the hotel may maintain the profiledatabase locally within the gateway device. Alternatively, if externalto the gateway device, the profile database can contain the sameinformation and be accessed by the gateway device to ascertain user'saccess rights. According to one embodiment of the invention, the profiledatabase can be maintained outside of the gateway device by an internetservice provider.

Upon receiving the location of a port or identity of a usertransparently communicating with the gateway device, the AAA servercompares the identification information contained within the packet touser profile information stored within the user profile database. Thiscomparison may be accomplished using a computer having an operatingsystem and software therein for comparing identification information inthe received packet to records stored within the user profile database.Where users are not identified automatically based upon their location,the users may be required to identify themselves using a login and ID,so that their identification can be compared to user profiles storedwithin the user profile database. In an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention, the AAA server could query the user's computer, andmore specifically, the user's browser, to obtain identificationinformation stored therein so that the AAA server does not have to querya user for user information, thereby further making the AAA process ofthe present invention transparent to the user.

The user profile database may comprise programmable storage meanslocated on a conventional personal computer, mainframe computer, oranother suitable storage device known in the art. Additionally, themeans for comparing the received data to the data within the databasecan comprise any software, such as an executable software program, whichcan compare data. For example, the AAA server may store user profiles ona hard drive of a personal computer, and the means for comparing thereceived user data to the user profiles resident on the computer caninclude computer software, such as Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Excel is atrademark of Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.). According toanother embodiment of the invention, the AAA server can comprise aremote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS), which is a wellknown authentication and accounting system used by a number of networkservice providers (NSPs).

Once a user's profile has been determined by access to the user'sprofile in the user database, three possible actions can result.Specifically, once a user's profile has been retrieved the AAA servermay determine a user to have access, to be pending or in progress, or tonot have access.

First, a user is deemed valid (i.e., to have access) where the user'sprofile in the user profile database states so. If a user is determinedto be valid, the user's traffic can be allowed to proceed out of thegateway device from the portal page to the networks or online servicesthe user wishes to access, or the user may be redirected to a portalpage, typically, a more user-specific portal page, as described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,636,894, entitled “Systems and Methods For Redirecting UsersHaving Transparent Computer Access To A Network Using A Gateway DeviceHaving Redirection Capability, incorporated elsewhere herein, prior tobeing allowed access to the destination network. For example, a user maybe automatically forwarded to a user-input destination address, such asan Internet address, for example, where a user has free accessassociated with the user's hotel room. Alternatively, this may occurwhere the user has already purchased access and the user has notexhausted available access time.

If the second scenario occurs, in which the user is deemed pending or“in progress,” the user may take steps to become authenticated so thatthe user's information may be recorded in the user profile database andthe user is deemed valid. For example, a user may have to enter into apurchase agreement, requiring the user to enter a credit card number. Ifthe user needs to purchase access, or if the system needs additionalinformation about the user, the user can be redirected from the portalpage via Home Page Redirect (HPR) and Stack Address Translation (SAT) toa location, such as a login page, established to validate new users. SATand HPR can intervene to direct the user to a web server (external orinternal) where the user has to login and identify themselves. Thisprocess is described in detail below and in more detail in theRedirecting Application.

According to one illustrative example, a user profile database ismaintained by an ISP which may be associated with the computer networkfor providing internet service to those users on the network. Althoughunlimited access could be granted to users based on their location orMAC address, access may also be limited based on the access for which auser has paid. For example, the user profile database may route a userto a login page, where the user must enter user data, such as a user idand password. In this embodiment, a network access server (NAS) 28,located within the gateway device 12, can receive user data. Uponreceiving user data representing the identity of a user attempting toaccess the network, a primary function of the NAS 28 is to grant or denythe user access to the network.

Although the NAS 28 grants and denies access to users, the NAS 28 doesnot determine whether each user is allowed to connect to the networkand, if so, what type of connection should be established. Rather, thesedeterminations are made by the AAA server 30, illustrated as exterior tothe gateway device in FIG. 6, and described in detail above. Uponreceiving user data the NAS 28 can, if necessary, reconfigure the datasuch that the data will be in the proper format to be received by theAAA server 30. In addition to reconfiguring the user data, the NAS 28can also encrypt the user data such that the user identity and passwordwill be protected during transmission to the AAA server 30. Afterreconfiguration, and optionally, encryption, the NAS 28 transmits thedata to the AAA server 30 with a query to request that the AAA server 30authenticate the user.

The AAA server 30 stores user profiles corresponding to users authorizedto access the network. The user profiles typically include useridentifications, passwords, access authorization, billing, and otherpertinent user information. The AAA server 30 compares stored userprofiles with the user data received from the gateway device 12 todetermine if the user should be granted access to the network. As such,the AAA server 30 generally comprises a database and data storage means.According to one embodiment of the invention, the AAA server 30 ismaintained by an ISP. In this embodiment, the user profiles stored bythe AAA server 30 establish those users that can obtain Internet accessvia the ISP network. The ISP edits user profiles within the AAA server30 to reflect those users who may become authorized or unauthorized toaccess the network.

Continuing with the illustrative example, the ISP may only register userprofiles in the authentication database after users have been identifiedby the ISP and necessary billing information, such as addresses andcredit card numbers, have been submitted. If the ISP has not posted auser profile in the AAA server 30 at the time of authentication, theuser will not be permitted access to the network. If this occurs, theuser may be asked to submit profile information to the ISP so that theISP can add the user's profile to the AAA server 30. Furthermore, thismay also be done the first time a user attempts to access the gatewaydevice 12. The information may be entered by the user with the aid ofwebpage, a pop-up control panel or user interface, which can open whenthe user initially connects to the gateway device 12, as effectuated byHPR and SAT. As will be discussed below, the gateway device can requestuser information and forward it to the ISP such that the user does notknow an ISP is receiving the information.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the AAA server 30 is located outsideof the gateway device, although it may alternatively be located withinthe gateway device. For example, the location of the AAA server 30 maybe such that the NAS 28 communicates with the AAA server 30 via internetprotocol. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the AAA server 30 maybe located at any internet address and stored on any computer accessiblevia internet protocol. Locating the AAA server 30 outside of the networkcan provide a number of advantages. First, the administrative burden onthe network is alleviated because the network does not have to set upand maintain separate authentication databases on each network orgateway device. This is especially important because each gateway device12 allows a finite number of users to access the network, so thatmultiple gateway devices may be required. Secondly, administering andmaintaining one consolidated database of authentication data is easierthan multiple smaller databases.

Referring again to the illustrative AAA example, after any requisitereconfiguration, the NAS 28 can transmit user data to the AAA server 30with a query to request that the AAA server 30 authenticate the user.The AAA server 30 receives the user data and then compares the receiveduser data to user profiles stored within its database. Where a customeris not identified by location, establishing access to the gateway devicewill typically involve a process in which a user must enter theiridentity and a password, and in some instances a desired billing schemeand service level as offered by the gateway administrator or networkoperator (information hereinafter collectively referred to as userdata). Additionally, the user data can include information such as auser's social security number and a credit card number. As describedbriefly above and in more detail below, the gateway device can directthe user to a web page that requests desired data. However, where thecustomer is identified by location, the customer may only have to chooseconnection options, such as fixed fee or pay-per-use access, or aparticular baud rate where the user can pay a premium for a higher speedconnection, as the identity of the user may be known based uponlocation, and the user's payment information may already be known, suchas where access is obtained via a port in a hotel room.

Assuming that a user has been deemed pending or “in progress,” thegateway device typically presents users with a login page that enablesnew users to subscribe to the computer network so that they maysubsequently obtain transparent access to networks or online servicestransparently through the gateway device. To direct the users to a loginpage the AAA server calls upon a HPR function. The HPR directs the userto the login page, and after the user has entered requisite informationinto the login page, the AAA server adds the new information to thecustomer profile database and can direct the user to the user's desireddestination, such as an Internet address, or a portal page created bythe network provider or users. Thus, new users can gain access tonetworks or online services without being predefined in the user profiledatabase.

Because the gateway device is transparent to the user, the usercommunicates with the gateway device without the user's knowledge. Thistransparent communication results in a plug and play capability whichenables a user to plug a computer into a port and directly access theinternet or another online service without reconfiguring his or hercomputer from the home network settings resident on the computer andwithout requiring additional software to be loaded on the user computer.Therefore, the functions of the AAA server, and of HPR can be completelytransparent to the user. For example, utilizing the system and method ofthe present invention, a user who has not purchased network access, anddoes not receive free network access, can plug into a port of thecomputer network and request connection to an Internet address throughthe user's Internet browser. After being directed to a portal page, theAAA server, unbeknownst to the user, identifies this user as pending(i.e., no information for that user has been identified in the userprofile database), and calls upon the HPR function to send the user fromthe portal page to a login page which is different from the destinationaddress initially entered by the user. Specifically, the HPR function aswell as the SAT, discussed below, are performed by the AAA server and/orgateway device.

To achieve this redirection, HPR utilizes a SAT operation to direct theuser from a portal page to a new destination at which a login page ispresented, which is preferably local to the gateway device so that theredirection will be efficient and fast. This is accomplished byredirecting the user to a protocol stack using network and port addresstranslation to the portal server that can be internal to the computernetwork or gateway device. More specifically, the AAA server receivesthe user's Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request for a web pageand sends back the HTTP response reversing the network and port addresstranslation the portal server, essentially acting as a transparent“go-between” to the user and new web server. It will be appreciated,however, that to receive the HTTP request the AAA server must initiallyopen a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection to the anotherserver in line with the user-requested internet address.

After receiving the user's login information, the AAA server will createa user profile utilizing this information so that the user will be ableto obtain immediate access to the network next time the user logs inwithout being required to enter login information again. The AAA servercan create a profile for the user in a locally stored user profiledatabase, as described above, or can update the user profile in adatabase external to the gateway device. Regardless of the location ofthe user profile, the next time the user attempts to login the user'sprofile will be located in the user profile database, the user's accessrights determined, and the user allowed transparent access to networksor services.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tomind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains havingthe benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions andthe associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed andthat modifications and other embodiments are intended to be includedwithin the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms areemployed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense onlyand not for purposes of limitation.

ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE

The following is additional disclosure and is not to be construed asclaims.

1. A method for dynamic control of bandwidth by a subscriber during anon-going network session, comprising:

-   -   establishing an authorization account for a subscriber to enable        accessing to a computer network through a gateway device,        wherein the authorization account includes a maximum bandwidth        value and an authorization code;    -   authorizing the subscriber based on the authorization code to        establishing network access for the subscriber through the        gateway device, whereby an information transfer rate of the        access is limited to the maximum bandwidth value; and    -   receiving request from the subscriber to dynamically adjust the        maximum bandwidth value to a second maximum bandwidth value, and        in response thereto, substantially instantaneously adjusting the        limit on the information transfer rate to the second maximum        bandwidth value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein limiting the information transfer ratecomprises selectively queuing information packets associated with thesubscriber in a buffer for a period of time before sending to limit thetransfer rate.

3. The method of claim 1, further the step of establishing a downlinkmaximum bandwidth value and an independent uplink maximum bandwidthvalue.

4. A method for dynamic control of bandwidth by a subscriber during anon-going network session, comprising:

-   -   receiving a data packet;    -   retrieving a subscriber selected maximum bandwidth for a        subscriber associated with the data packet;    -   determining a delay period, if any, for transmitting the packet        to limit the subscriber to the maximum bandwidth; and    -   queuing the data packet for the delay period before transmitting        the packet.

5. A system for dynamic control of bandwidth by a subscriber during anon-going network session, comprising:

-   -   a bandwidth manager that processes a data packet to determine if        the data packet is to be queued for a period of time before        being transmitted in order to limit the bandwidth of the        subscriber to which the data packet is associated, and if the        data packet is to be queued then determining a length of the        period of time; and    -   a queue for queuing the data packet for the period of time if        needed.

6. The system of claim 5, further including a traffic shaping mechanismthat utilizes the queue for queuing data packets to provide prioritybandwidth service to the subscriber.

7. A method for dynamically creating a tunnel in a computer network toprovide a subscriber computer access to a destination network,comprising:

-   -   storing a subscriber profile, wherein the subscriber profile        includes authorization data for logging onto the destination        network;    -   receiving at a gateway device a request from the subscriber for        access to the destination network;    -   creating a tunnel having a first protocol using the        authorization data, wherein a first end point at the gateway        device and a second end point at the destination network, and    -   receiving at the gateway device packets from the subscriber        computer for delivery to the tunnel over a link having a second        protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing comprises storinga network access identifier and a password.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating a tunnelcomprises the steps of determining if the tunnel exists.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating a tunnelcomprises requesting additional authorization data for logging into thedestination network.

11. A system for dynamically creating a tunnel in a computer network toprovide a subscriber computer access to a destination network,comprising:

-   -   a storage device that stores a subscriber profile, wherein the        subscriber profile includes authorization data for logging onto        the destination network;    -   means for receiving at a gateway device a request from the        subscriber for access to the destination network;    -   means for creating a tunnel having a first protocol using the        authorization data, wherein a first end point at the gateway        device and a second end point at the destination network, and    -   means for receiving at the gateway device packets from the        subscriber computer for delivery to the tunnel over a link        having a second protocol.

12. A system for dynamically creating a tunnel in a computer network toprovide a subscriber computer access to a destination network,comprising:

-   -   an internet infrastructure;    -   an enterprise network connected to the internet infrastructure        through a firewall;    -   a subscriber computer connected to the internet infrastructure;    -   a gateway device connected between the subscriber computer and        the enterprise network, wherein the gateway device stores        authorization information of the subscriber computer for        establishing a tunnel dynamically.

1. A method for communicating to a network user data during an ongoingnetworking session, the method comprising the steps of:

-   -   establishing computer network access to a user's host through a        gateway device interface;    -   creating pop-up control panel packets at the gateway device;    -   sending the pop-up control panel packets to the user's host; and    -   generating a pop-up control panel on the monitor of the user's        host that comprises data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is user-specific data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicatingwith databases in communication with the gateway device to determineuser-specific data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of creating pop-upcontrol packets that reflect the user-specific data.

1. A system for enabling transparent communication between a computerand a service provider network, comprising:

-   -   a computer;    -   a network gateway device in communication with said computer for        connecting said computer to a computer network, wherein the        network gateway device receives user data that represents a user        attempting to access said computer network; and    -   a service provider network in communication with said network        gateway device, comprising    -   an authentication server in communication with said network        gateway device and having therein a database comprising user        profiles that represent users authorized to access said computer        network, wherein said authentication server compares said user        data to said user profiles to determine if said user attempting        to access said computer network can access said computer        network.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an accounting system formaintaining historical data concerning use of said service providernetwork.

3. A method for enabling transparent communication between a computerand a service provider network, comprising

-   -   allowing a computer operator to access a computer network via a        network gateway device;    -   collecting data corresponding to a customer's identity in said        network gateway device;    -   reconfiguring said data to one of the predetermined data formats        which may be received by an authentication server located within        a service provider network; and    -   transmitting the reconfigured data to the authentication server,        wherein said authentication server:    -   compares said reconfigured data to user profiles stored within        said authentication server to determine if said computer        operator can access said service provider network.

1. A system for enabling a management system to communicate with anetwork gateway device to automatically bill a computer operator foraccess to a computer network, comprising:

-   -   a computer;    -   a network gateway device in communication with said computer for        connecting the computer to the computer network, wherein the        network gateway device maintains data representative of the        computer operator's access to the computer network; and    -   a management system connected to said network gateway device for        automatically billing the computer operator based upon usage of        the computer network, wherein said management system is        configured to communicate according to at least one        predetermined protocol,    -   wherein the network gateway device reconfigures the data to meet        one of the predetermined protocols supported by said management        system, and wherein said management system receives the data        reconfigured by the network gateway device and utilizes the data        reconfigured by the network gateway device for automatic billing        purposes.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a translator incommunication with the gateway device and management system forreceiving the data reconfigured by the network gateway device, saidtranslator adapted to further reconfigure the reconfigured data, and totransmit the further reconfigured data to the management system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data representative of thecomputer operator's access to the computer network comprises datarepresentative of the computer operator's location.

4. A method for enabling a management system to communicate with anetwork gateway device to automatically bill a customer for access to acomputer network, comprising:

-   -   allowing a computer operator to access a computer network via a        network gateway device;    -   collecting data corresponding to a customer's local network        access in said network gateway device;    -   reconfiguring said data to one of the predetermined data formats        which may be received by a management system; and    -   transmitting the reconfigured data to the management system.

1. A method for implementing location-based identification andauthorization in a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

-   -   establishing a network connection between a host and a network;    -   sending out network packets from the host through a port;    -   receiving the network packets at an access controller;    -   tagging the network packets at the access controller with a port        identifier that corresponds to a media access control (MAC)        address;    -   receiving the tagged network packet at a gateway device; and    -   incorporating the port identifier into a database in        communication with the gateway device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of tagging implements the useof VLAN for communicating between the access controller and the gatewaydevice.

3. A method for implementing location-based identification andauthorization in a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

-   -   establishing a network connection between a host and a network;    -   sending out network packets from the host through a port;    -   receiving the network packets at a gateway device;    -   sending a port identifying query to an access controller in        response to receiving the network packets;    -   receiving the port identifying query at an access controller;    -   sending a port identifying response query back to the gateway        device; and    -   incorporating the port identifier into a database in        communication with the gateway device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of sending a port identifyingquery further comprises sending an SNMP (Simple Network ManagementProtocol) query.

1. A gateway device comprising:

a subscriber interface for adapting to a subscriber computer that isconnected to the gateway device to facilitate communications between thesubscriber computer and at least one network without requiring thesubscriber computer to be reconfigured;

an XML interface for communicating with an external device via a seriesof XML commands and responses.

2. A gateway device according to claim 1 further comprising an internalweb server for communicating with both said XML interface and theinternet to thereby facilitate XML-based communications between thegateway device and external devices connected to the internet.

3. A gateway device according to claim 1 wherein said XML interfacecomprises a parser front end, a parser section and a building section.

4. A method for communicating between a gateway device and an externaldevice via the internet, the method comprising:

-   -   receiving an XML command at the gateway device from the external        device;    -   parsing the XML command;    -   passing the parsed XML command to a respective application        program;    -   receiving a response from the respective application program;        and    -   transmitting an XML response from the gateway device to the        external device based upon the response received from the        respective application program.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein receiving an XML commandcomprises receiving an XML command at the gateway device from a billingand content server.

1. A method for authorizing, authenticating and accounting users havingtransparent access to a destination network, wherein the users otherwisehave access to a home network through home network settings resident onthe user's computers, and wherein the users can access the destinationnetwork without altering the home network settings, comprising:

-   -   receiving at a gateway device a request from a user for access        to the destination network;    -   identifying an attribute associated with the user based upon a        packet received by the gateway device, wherein the packet is        transmitted from the user's computer, wherein the user's        computer remains configured for accessing the home network, and        wherein no additional configuration software need be installed        on the user's computer to access the destination network;    -   accessing a user profile corresponding to the user and stored in        a user profile database, where the user profile is accessed        based upon the attribute associated with the user; and    -   determining if the user is entitled to access the destination        network based upon the user profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a locationidentifier to the location from which requests for access to thedestination network are transmitted, and wherein the location identifieris the attribute associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the user databasewhen a new user accesses the destination network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining in the userprofile a historical log of the user's access to the destinationnetwork.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute associated with the useris based upon a VLAN ID assigned to the location from which the requestfor access to the destination address was transmitted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving at the gateway device arequest from a user for access comprises the step of receiving anInternet destination address from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the user is entitled toaccess the destination network further comprises denying the user accesswhere the user profile indicates that the user is denied access.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the user is entitled toaccess the destination network further comprises directing the user to alogin page where the user profile is not located within the user profiledatabase.

9. A system for authorizing, authenticating and accounting users havingtransparent access to a destination network, wherein the users otherwisehave access to a home network through home network settings resident onthe user's computers, and wherein the users can access the destinationnetwork without altering the home network settings, comprising:

-   -   a gateway device for receiving a request from a user for access        to the destination network;    -   means for identifying an attribute associated with the user        based upon a packet received by the gateway device, wherein the        packet is transmitted from the user's computer, wherein the        user's computer is configured for accessing the home network,        and wherein no additional configuration software need be        installed on the user's computer;    -   a user profile database comprising stored access information and        in communication with the gateway device, and wherein access        information corresponding to the user is identified by the        attribute associated with the user, and    -   an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server in        communication with the gateway device and user profile database,        where the AAA server determines if user is entitled to access        the destination network based upon the access information stored        within the user profile database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the packet received by the gatewaydevice include at least one of VLAN ID, a circuit ID, and a MAC address.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for identifying comprisesan access concentrator in communication with the gateway device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the AAA server is located within thegateway device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the user profile database includes aplurality of user profiles, wherein each respective user profile of theplurality of user profiles contains access information.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user profile database is locatedwithin the AAA server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein each respective user profilecontains historical data relating to the duration of destination networkaccess for use in determining the charges due for the destinationnetwork access.

1. A method of providing location-based content to a client computerconnected to a local area network, the method comprising: receiving arequest for network content from a client computer via an intermediarynetwork device, the client computer being connected to the intermediarynetwork device via a port of a plurality of ports of the intermediarynetwork device; determining a physical location of the client computerbased at least in part upon a location identification messageoriginating from the intermediary network device, the locationidentification message identifying the port of the plurality of ports towhich the client computer is connected, whereby the client computer maybe differentiated, based on the location identification message, fromother devices connected via the intermediary network device; preparing aresponse comprising alternate network content based in part on thephysical location of the client computer, the alternate network contentbeing associated with the physical location and being different from therequested network content; and transmitting the alternate networkcontent to the client computer in response to the request for content;and transmitting, to an account management server, billing informationassociated with the physical location of the client computer in responseto a request for services received from the client computer, therebyenabling a user of the client computer to request the services withoutnecessarily entering identification or location information.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein transmitting the alternate network content tothe client computer in response to the request for content comprises:transmitting a redirection response to the client computer in responseto the request for content, the redirection response configured toinstruct the client computer to retrieve a web page at a specific webaddress; and transmitting the alternate network content to the clientcomputer in response to receiving a request from the client computerincluding the specific web address.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe intermediary network device comprises a VLAN processor configured toassociate packets received at the intermediary network device with aVLAN tag associated with the port from which the packet was received. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the physical location is a room in ahotel, a type of room in a hotel, a suite, a room in an office, aterminal in an airport, an airplane, a building, a multi-unit residence,a part of a multi-unit residence, a unit in a multi-unit residence, awing of a building, or a retail outlet.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the physical location is determined based at least in part on aVLAN tag.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client computer has noinformation identifying the physical location.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising: receiving, from the client computer, a request toaccess an online service; establishing a link to the online service; andtranslating packets transmitted between the client computer and theonline service in a manner that is transparent to the client computer.8. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate network contentcomprises a portal page to which the client computer is redirected. 9.The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate network content comprises acontrol console that is transmitted in conjunction with the requestedcontent, the control console comprising an interactive user interfaceconfigured to receive an interaction from the client computer andresponsively send to the gateway device an instruction to change anetwork settings parameter.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein receivingthe request for network content comprises receiving one or more datapackets from the client computer, the request being directed to anexternal server; wherein the method further comprises determiningauthorization rights associated with the client computer, theauthorization rights indicating whether the client computer is entitledto access the requested network content, the authorization rights beingbased on a user profile selected from a user profile database; andwherein the response comprising the alternate network content isprepared if the determined authorization rights indicate that the clientcomputer is not entitled to access the requested network content, theresponse being configured to cause the client computer to initiate arequest for network content at a network location different from therequest for network content from the external server, the response beingconfigured to indicate to the computer that the response originated fromthe external server.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the userprofile is selected from the user profile database based on a portion ofheader data included in the data packets, the portion of the header databeing indicative of a physical location of the client computer.
 12. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the redirection response is configured tocause the client computer to initiate a request for network content at anetwork location determined by a network management system based onadministrator input to the network management system.
 13. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the user profile is selected based at least in part ona VLAN tag associated with the port of the intermediary device to whichthe client computer is connected.
 14. The method of claim 10, whereinthe user profile is selected based at least in part on an SNMP messagereceived from the intermediary device, the SNMP message identifying theport of the intermediary device to which the client computer isconnected.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the billinginformation comprises transmitting, to a hotel property managementsystem, the billing information in association with the physicallocation of the client computer in response to the request for servicesreceived from the client computer, thereby enabling the user of theclient computer to request the services without needing to enteridentification or location information.
 16. The method of claim 1,wherein the location identification message from the intermediarynetwork device is included in an SNMP response message identifying theport through which the client computer is connected, wherein theresponse comprising the alternate network content is prepared subsequentto receiving the SNMP response message, and wherein the physicallocation is determined by: sending to the intermediary network device,in response to receiving the request for network content, an SNMPrequest comprising data from the received packet; and receiving, fromthe intermediary network device, the SNMP response message identifyingthe port.
 17. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, in adatabase, the location identification message originating from theintermediary device, in association with a MAC address of the clientcomputer.
 18. A system, configured to provide location-based content toclient computers in communication with the system, the systemcomprising: a database, configured to store location-related informationassociated with a plurality of physical locations; a network portconfigured to receive a request for online content from a clientcomputer via an intermediary network device, the client computer beingconnected to the intermediary network device via a port of a pluralityof ports of the intermediary network device; and a processor, configuredto determine a physical location of the client computer based at leastin part on an identifier received from the intermediary network device,the identifier being associated with the port of the plurality of portsof the intermediary network device, the identifier differentiating theclient computer from other devices connected via the intermediarynetwork device; the processor further configured to respond to therequest for online content based in part on the physical location of theclient computer, construct location-related content based on thelocation-related information associated with the physical location, andsend the location-related content to the client computer; the processorfurther configured to transmit, to an account management server, billinginformation associated with the physical location of the client computerin response to a request for services received from the client computer,thereby enabling a user of the client computer to request the serviceswithout necessarily entering identification or location information;wherein the location-related content differs from the requested onlinecontent.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to send the client computer a redirection message in responseto the request for online content, the redirection message configured toinstruct the client computer initiate a second request for onlinecontent, and wherein the processor is further configured to send thelocation-related content to the client computer in response to thesecond request for online content.
 20. The system of claim 18, whereinthe physical location is a room in a hotel, a type of room in a hotel, asuite, a room in an office, a terminal in an airport, an airplane, abuilding, a multi-unit residence, a part of a multi-unit residence, aunit in a multi-unit residence, a wing of a building, or a retailoutlet.
 21. The system of claim 18, wherein the physical location isdetermined based at least in part by a VLAN tag.
 22. The system of claim18, wherein the client computer has no information identifying thephysical location.
 23. The system of claim 18, wherein the intermediarynetwork device comprises a plurality of ports and a VLAN processorconfigured to associate packets received at the intermediary networkdevice with a VLAN tag associated with the port from which the packetwas received.
 24. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor isfurther configured to: receive, from the client computer, a request toaccess an online service; establish a link to the online service; andtranslate packets transmitted between the client computer and the onlineservice in a manner that is transparent to the client computer.
 25. Thesystem of claim 18, wherein the location-related content comprises aportal page to which the client computer is redirected.
 26. The systemof claim 18, wherein the location-related content comprises a controlconsole that is transmitted in conjunction with the requested content,the control console comprising an interactive user interface configuredto receive an interaction from the client computer and responsively sendto a gateway device an instruction to change a network settingsparameter.
 27. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to transmit, to a hotel property management system, thebilling information in association with the physical location of theclient computer, thereby enabling the user of the client computer torequest the services without needing to enter identification or locationinformation.
 28. A system configured to provide location-based content,the system comprising: a network port in communication with anintermediary network device; a processor in communication with thenetwork port; and executable instructions stored on a computer-readablemedium and configured to be executed on the processor, the executableinstructions configured to cause the performance of operationscomprising: processing a request for online content received via theintermediary network device, the request indicating that the requestoriginated from a client computer, the request further comprising aphysical location indicator indicating that the client computer isconnected to a connection interface of a plurality of connectioninterfaces on the intermediary network device; determining a physicallocation of the client computer based at least in part on the physicallocation indicator, the identifier differentiating the client computerfrom other devices connected via the intermediary network device;responding to the request for online content based in part on thephysical location indicator, the response comprising location-relatedcontent based on the physical location, the location-related contentdiffering from the requested online content; and transmitting, to anaccount management server, billing information associated with thephysical location of the client computer in response to a request forservices received from the client computer, thereby enabling a user ofthe client computer to request the services without necessarily enteringidentification or location information.